Lophomonas blattarum is an anaerobic protozoan living in the intestine of cockroaches and house dust mites, with ultramicroscopic characteristics such as the presence of a parabasal body, axial filament, and absence of mitochondria. More than 200 cases of Lophomonas infection of the respiratory tract have been reported worldwide. However, the current diagnosis of such infection depends only on light microscopic morphological findings from respiratory secretions. In this study, we attempted to provide more robust evidence of protozoal infection in an immunocompromised patient with atypical pneumonia, positive for Lophomonas-like protozoal cell forms. A direct search of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid via polymerase chain reaction (PCR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and metagenomic next-generation sequencing did not prove the presence of protozoal infection. PCR results were not validated with sufficient rigor, while de novo assembly and taxonomic classification results did not confirm the presence of an unidentified pathogen. The TEM results implied that such protozoal forms in light microscopy are actually non-detached ciliated epithelial cells. After ruling out infectious causes, the patient’s final diagnosis was drug-induced pneumonitis. These findings underscore the lack of validation in the previously utilized diagnostic methods, and more evidence in the presence of L. blattarum is required to further prove its pathogenicity.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
Pulmonary infection by Lophomonas spp. and Aspergillus spp. in a B-cell acute lymphocytic leukemia patient from Chile Isabel Iturrieta-González, Enzo Moenen-Locoz, Alejandro Hidalgo, Fernando Vega, Johanna Cabrera, Carla Concha, Carolina Chahin, Javier Briones, Flery Fonseca-Salamanca Parasitology International.2025; 104: 102971. CrossRef
A Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase (PCR) como estratégia de diagnóstico e monitoramento nas protozooses: uma revisão integrativa Luiza Valente Breda Libardi, Juliana Gouveia da Silva, Danieli Perini Alvares, Clara Fagundes Marely, Bruno Serafini Venturini, Guilherme Frinhani Bernardineli, Filipe Salume Lima Nogueira, Adelson Luiz Ferreira, Rodrigo Moraes, Priscila Pinto e Silva do Clinics Biopsychosocial.2025; 3(1): 58. CrossRef
First Report of the Pulmonary Parasite Lophomonas blattarum in Ahvaz Province, Khuzestan: Case Report and Literature Review Mojtaba Aghaei, Hanieh Raji, Seyed Sobhan Bahreiny, Mohammad Amin Vahid, Najmaldin Saki Advanced Biomedical Research.2025;[Epub] CrossRef
The diagnostic ambiguity for Polymerase Chain Reaction in the detection of Lophomonas blattarum Canan Doğu Tok, Funda Dogruman Al Middle Black Sea Journal of Health Science.2025; 11(4): 356. CrossRef
First Molecular Evidence of Emerging Lophomonas Pathogen Among Patients Suspected of Having Pulmonary Tuberculosis in Mazandaran Province, Northern Iran Hossein Veisi, Abdollah Malakian, Mahdi Fakhar, Ali Sharifpour, Maryam Nakhaei, Mostafa Soleymani, Seyed Reza Mosave, Nader Ahangar, Seyed Hosien Seyedpour Acta Parasitologica.2024; 69(1): 1041. CrossRef
Imaging patterns of Lophomonas blattarum infection in the respiratory tract: a registry-based analysis Amirmasoud Taheri, Mahdi Fakhar, Ali Sharifpour, Elhamsadat Banimostafavi, Sepideh SafaNavaei, Siavash Abedi, Hossein Mehravaran, Masoud Aliyali, Ahmad Shafahi, Asieh Delpzir BMC Infectious Diseases.2024;[Epub] CrossRef
Case series of complicated bronchopulmonary lophomoniasis. Differential diagnosis of tuberculosis? Cristian Morán-Mariños, Juan Salas López, Felix Llanos-Tejada, Renato Casanova-Mendoza, Renzo Villanueva-Villegas, Antonella Chavez-Huamani, Kenneth G. Vargas-Ponce, Margaret Condori-Zevallos European Clinical Respiratory Journal.2024;[Epub] CrossRef
We retrospectively evaluated the clinical and imaging features of 6 patients with bone hydatid disease confirmed by surgery and pathological examination. Among the 6 patients, 2 were infected with Echinococcosis granulosus metacestode and 4 were infected with E. multilocularis metacestode. The 2 cases with cystic echinococcosis were diagnosed by computed tomographic (CT) examination, and other 4 cases were diagnosed by magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. On the initial evaluation, 1 case each was misdiagnosed as a giant cell tumor or neurogenic tumor, and 2 were misdiagnosed as tuberculosis. The imaging manifestations of bone hydatid disease are complex, but most common findings include expansive osteolytic bone destruction, which may be associated with sclerosing edges or dead bone formation, localized soft tissue masses, and vertebral lesions with wedge-shaped changes and spinal stenosis. Combining imaging findings with the patient’s epidemiological history and immunological examinations is of great help in improving the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of bone hydatid disease.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
Spinal Echinococcosis in a Japanese Woman Living in Tokyo: Diagnostic Challenges in Non-endemic Areas and Public Health Implications Takashi Katsuno, Yuriko Sugiura, Momoko Morishita, Shuhei Osaki, Manabu Suzuki, Jin Takasaki, Motoyasu Iikura, Shinyu Izumi, Masayuki Hojo, Haruhito Sugiyama Internal Medicine.2025; 64(6): 971. CrossRef
Dynamic evaluation of vertebral alveolar echinococcosis using MR T2 mapping Jinhuan Han, Yushan Chang, Hui Guo Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery.2025;[Epub] CrossRef
Echinococcosis of the humerus with soft tissue and muscle involvement: A case report Weikai Chen, Yanan Zhang, Yin Wang, Gaosheng Yang Asian Journal of Surgery.2025; 48(6): 3870. CrossRef
Pathological Fracture of the Tibia Due to Lytic Bone Lesion Caused by Hydatidosis with Absence of Systemic Involvement: A Case Report and Review of Literature Nashwah Samir AlHariry, Enas A. El Saftawy, Wesam Gamal Abousenna, Mansour A. Alghamdi, Basma Emad Aboulhoda Acta Parasitologica.2025;[Epub] CrossRef
Current Perspectives on Cystic Echinococcosis: A Systematic Review Hawkar A. Nasralla, Berun A. Abdalla, Hiwa O. Abdullah, Sasan M. Ahmed, Fahmi H. Kakamad, Shvan H. Mohammed, Rawezh Q. Salih, Dahat A. Hussein, Tomas M. Mikael, Marwan N. Hassan, Hunar A. Hassan, Suhaib H. Kakamad, Kayhan A. Najar, Karukh K. Judi Clinical Journal.2025; 1(1): 12. CrossRef
Mechanistic role of the IL-1β/c-Fos/NFATc1 signaling axis in echinococcal infection-promoted osteoclast differentiation and activation in pathological osteolysis: a prospective controlled trial Yelinaer Ayiheng, Wuluhan Mahan, Zengru Xie Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research.2025;[Epub] CrossRef
Complicated Hydatid Cyst Presentation: A Case Study on the Intersection of Cystobiliary Fistula, Bile Duct Obstruction, and Cholangitis: A Case Report Nasrin Razavianzadeh, Reza Dabiri, Aref Arminfar, Hessamedin Babaei, Faeze Gholipour, Farbod Noorbini, Soheil Shahramirad Clinical Case Reports.2025;[Epub] CrossRef
Surgical Management of Cystic Pelvic Hydatid Bone Disease Using Additively Manufactured Customized Implants for Salvage Reconstruction: A Report of Two Cases Rodica Marinescu, Carmen Michaela Cretu, Stefan Ciumeica, Laptoiu Dan Constantin Cureus.2024;[Epub] CrossRef
Hydatid cyst of the humerus presenting as a suspicious lesion: A rare case report and review of literature Chaymae Faraj, Khadija Laasri, Sara Essetti, Yahya El Harras, Nazik Allali, Siham El Haddad, Latifa Chat, Loubna Aqqaoui, Sarah Hosni, Fouad Ettayebi Radiology Case Reports.2024; 19(10): 4526. CrossRef
Diagnostic Approach and Differences between Spinal Infections and Tumors Domenico Compagnone, Riccardo Cecchinato, Andrea Pezzi, Francesco Langella, Marco Damilano, Andrea Redaelli, Daniele Vanni, Claudio Lamartina, Pedro Berjano, Stefano Boriani Diagnostics.2023; 13(17): 2737. CrossRef
Echinococcus granulosus promotes bone resorption by increasing osteoclasts differentiation Haohao Sun, Sibo Wang, Wenbo Tan, Ye Li, Qian Ren, Yaqing Liu, Yiping Huang, Chenhui Shi, Jing Li Acta Tropica.2023; 248: 107027. CrossRef
Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is considered as a fatal zoonosis caused by the larvae of Echinococcus multilocularis. The lungs and brain are the most common metastatic organs. We report a human case of hepatic alveolar echinococcosis accompanied by lung and brain metastasis. In particular, the patient had a history of tuberculosis and the lung lesions were easily misdiagnosed as lung abscesses. The lesions of liver and lung underwent radical resection and confirmed as alveolar echinococcosis by pathological examination. The patient had no surgical complications after operation and was discharged after symptomatic treatment. Unfortunately, the patient later developed multiple intracerebral AE metastases. We required the patient to take albendazole orally for life and follow up.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
Alveolar Echinococcosis in 11-Month-Old Dog—Clinical Case Zuzana Šufliarska, Štefan Tóth, Michaela Gentil, Filip Humeník Pathogens.2025; 14(5): 450. CrossRef
Surgical Approach in the Pulmonary Alveolar Echinococcus Yener Aydin, Ali Bilal Ulas, Nurhak Aksungur, Atilla Eroglu Archivos de Bronconeumología.2024; 60(6): 385. CrossRef
Epididymal alveolar echinococcosis and tuberculosis co-infection: A case report Chuanchuan Liu, Hainin Fan IDCases.2024; 36: e01966. CrossRef
Study on the mechanism of miRNAs on liver injury in the condition of Protoscocephalus alveolarus transhepatic portal vein infection Yazhou Zhu, Ming Li, Zihua Li, Jiahui Song, Wei Zhao Immunity, Inflammation and Disease.2024;[Epub] CrossRef
Echinococcosis: An Uncommon Cause of Thoracic Pain Beatriz Sampaio, Felisbela Gomes, Mafalda Leal, Rita Bernardino Cureus.2024;[Epub] CrossRef
Diagnosis and comparative analysis of surgical treatment of patients with liver alveococcosis V. S. Panteleev, M. A. Nartaylakov, I. Z. Salimgareev, A. S. Petrov Acta Biomedica Scientifica.2023; 8(2): 214. CrossRef
A Surgically Resected Case of Multiple Pulmonary Metastases of Echinococcosis Presented with Bloody Phlegm Ryota NAGASHIMA, Yasushi CHO, Kenji WAKAYAMA, Shusaku TAKAHASHI, Hiroyuki ISHIZU, Shin ICHIHARA Nihon Rinsho Geka Gakkai Zasshi (Journal of Japan Surgical Association).2023; 84(9): 1442. CrossRef
The Role of the Intestinal Epithelium in the “Weep and Sweep” Response during Gastro—Intestinal Helminth Infections Piotr Bąska, Luke James Norbury Animals.2022; 12(2): 175. CrossRef
First
Prev
