(BMJ) - A 24-yo man from India presented w/ a 2-mo hx of multiple, painless nodules on the underside of his tongue and lower lip. Biopsy confirmed the diagnosis and medical tx was curative. What is it?
Mucocele
Salivary gland neoplasia
Cysticercosis
Candidiasis
Oral lichen planus
You are correct. Cysticercosis, a parasitic infection caused by the larva of Taenia solium (pork tapeworm), rarely causes intraoral lesions. Brain, muscle, heart, and retina are frequently affected. Tx is w/ praziquantel or albendazole. Cysticercosis should be included in the differential dx of oral nodular lesions, especially in pts from endemic areas such as Asia and Latin America.