{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,19]],"date-time":"2026-05-19T18:39:39Z","timestamp":1779215979715,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":23,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,29]],"date-time":"2025-06-29T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1751155200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["TropicalMed"],"abstract":"<jats:p>We report the case of a 5-year-old boy from a Sri Lankan migrant family in Catania, Italy, diagnosed with a Dirofilaria repens infection in the spermatic cord. The child presented with pain and swelling in the left inguinal area. Initial evaluation suggested orchiepididymitis, which was treated unsuccessfully with amoxicillin\/clavulanate and NSAIDs. As symptoms worsened, torsion of the Morgagni hydatid was considered. An exploratory surgery revealed a firm mass in the left spermatic cord. Histopathological examination of the excised lesion showed fragments of a helminth within a granulomatous inflammatory reaction. Subsequent PCR analysis detected D. repens DNA. The patient fully recovered after surgical excision of the mass. Given the increasing incidence of human dirofilariasis, D. repens should be considered in the differential diagnosis of unexplained subcutaneous or inguinal nodules, especially in patients with a relevant travel history. This case highlights the importance of accurate diagnosis to avoid unnecessary invasive procedures or prolonged antimicrobial therapies. It represents one of the youngest pediatric cases with genital involvement reported in Italy, a country that accounts for half of the cases in Europe.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/tropicalmed10070184","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,30]],"date-time":"2025-06-30T05:00:37Z","timestamp":1751259637000},"page":"184","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Dirofilaria repens in the Spermatic Cord of a 5-Year-Old Boy: A Rare Pediatric Case in Italy"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"10","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0000-9168-3246","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alessandro","family":"Franz\u00f2","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Unit of Infectious Diseases, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, ARNAS Garibaldi Hospital, University of Catania, 95122 Catania, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5650-6911","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Andrea","family":"Marino","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Unit of Infectious Diseases, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, ARNAS Garibaldi Hospital, University of Catania, 95122 Catania, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6919-1955","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Benedetto Maurizio","family":"Celesia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Unit of Infectious Diseases, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, ARNAS Garibaldi Hospital, University of Catania, 95122 Catania, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Roberto","family":"Bruno","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Unit of Infectious Diseases, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, ARNAS Garibaldi Hospital, University of Catania, 95122 Catania, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Pieralba","family":"Catalano","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatric Surgery, ARNAS Garibaldi Hospital, 95122 Catania, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Sebastiano","family":"Cacciaguerra","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatric Surgery, ARNAS Garibaldi Hospital, 95122 Catania, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Stefano","family":"Reale","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia, 90129 Palermo, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Bruno Santi","family":"Cacopardo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Unit of Infectious Diseases, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, ARNAS Garibaldi Hospital, University of Catania, 95122 Catania, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8113-8452","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Giuseppe","family":"Nunnari","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Unit of Infectious Diseases, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, ARNAS Garibaldi Hospital, University of Catania, 95122 Catania, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,29]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"663","DOI":"10.1186\/s13071-018-3205-x","article-title":"Recent advances on Dirofilaria repens in dogs and humans in Europe","volume":"11","author":"Capelli","year":"2018","journal-title":"Parasites Vectors"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"181","DOI":"10.1016\/j.vetpar.2005.03.033","article-title":"What is happening outside North America regarding human dirofilariasis?","volume":"133","year":"2005","journal-title":"Veter. 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