skip to main content

Cutaneous Larva Migrans — SCE Infectious Diseases MCQ

Instant feedback + full explanation. One question, done properly.

EasyParasitologyCutaneous Larva MigransSCE Infectious Diseases

A 28-year-old Peace Corps volunteer returns from rural Malawi with pruritus, eosinophilia (3.5 × 10⁹/L), and a serpiginous, erythematous, raised track on his foot that migrates 1–2 cm per day. What is the most likely diagnosis and treatment?

Educational content. Not a substitute for clinical judgement or local policy.

Reveal the answer and explanation

Correct answer: A — Cutaneous larva migrans (hookworm); Ivermectin 200 µg/kg single dose or Albendazole 400 mg daily for 3 days

A serpiginous, pruritic, migratory track on the foot in a traveller from a tropical region is classic for cutaneous larva migrans (CLM), caused by animal hookworm larvae (typically Ancylostoma braziliense or A. caninum) penetrating the skin. The larvae cannot complete their life cycle in humans and migrate within the epidermis. Treatment is Ivermectin 200 µg/kg single dose (preferred) or Albendazole 400 mg daily for 3 days. The condition is self-limiting but treatment speeds resolution and reduces symptoms.

Reference: WHO 2023 – Soil-transmitted helminth guidelines; BNF 2024 – Ivermectin