A New Trematode, Poikilorchis congolensis, n.g., n.sp., Living in Subcutaneous Retroauricular Cysts in Man from the Belgian Congo

Abstract

Yarwood and Elmes¹ observed a cyst in the retroauricular region of a native in Nigeria, containing operculated eggs having the same form as the eggs of Paragonimus. Recently, one of us discovered, in natives of the Kasai Province, four cases of cysts or abscesses, similarly situated and containing eggs resembling those of Paragonimus westermani but slightly smaller in size². Examination of an adult worm extracted from one of these cysts showed that it did not belong to the Troglotrematidae (although it had some of the characteristics of this family) but to the Achillurbainiidae Dollfus³. At the present time this family is represented by only one genus containing one species Achillurbainia nouveli Dollfus, which was discovered in an abscess of the upper eyelid in a Malayan leopard. Our specimen has certain differences from the genus Achillurbainia and we propose to place it in a new genus and in a new species: Poïkilorchis congolensis n.g., n.sp.