Human syngamosis: the first case in Korea

Abstract

Parasites of the genus Mammomonogamus affect the respiratory tract of domestic mammals but have only rarely been reported in humans. In this case report the diagnosis of human syngamosis is described following bronchoscopic examination of a patient whose initial symptoms were simply of community acquired pneumonia. The patient had a persistent and productive cough with intermittent fever during 10 days of observation. After bronchoscopic extraction of the parasites and treatment with albendazole he recovered fully. This is one of the first recognised cases of human syngamosis in Korea.