Systemic Vasculitis With Lymphocytic Temporal Arteritis and Toxocara canis Infection

Abstract

Vasculitis associated with helminthic infection is rare. We report a case of systemic negative antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies vasculitis associated with Toxocara canis infection documented by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western blot analysis. This case report is unusual because of lymphocytic temporal arteritis and renal involvement. The spontaneous remission of systemic vasculitis without use of steroids or immunosuppressive agents favors a close relationship between vasculitis and the parasite that is more than a coincidental association. To our knowledge, this is the first observation of temporal vasculitis associated with helminthic infection, extending the clinical spectrum of visceral larva migrans.