Visceral Dracunculiasis: A Case Report from East Medinipore District,West Bengal,India

A case of visceral dracunculiasis in a female patient is reported from east Medinipur district, West Bengal, India. It is the first report from the eastern India. The patient from rural West Bengal underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy on 13th March 2002 and after 3 days the patient was released with a drain in the upper abdomen because of persistence of fluid of about 50 ml per day. The patient was to readmit after 8 days with a history of expulsion of one worm through the drain tube and next day another four living worms were expelled through the tube. Subsequently the drain dried up and the patient was released after removing the tube. The worms are identified as Dracunculus medinensis, possibly remaining within the abscess developing adjacent to the gall bladder and it is a case of visceral dracunculiasis reported first time from eastern India.