<i>Angiostrongylus costaricensis</i> n. sp. (Nematoda: Metastrongyloidea), a new lungworm occurring in man in Costa Rica

Abstract

Angiostrongylus costaricensis n. sp. is described from Costa Rica where il produces lesions in the abdominal cavity of man. It can be distinguished from other species of the genus on the basis of its size, the length of the spicules, the position of the vulva and the morphology and position of the bursal rays. The parasite localizes in the small mesenteric arteries, especially in the ileocecal region, where it produces arteritis and thrombosis. Eggs in various stages of embryooation were found scattered in the tissues of the intestinal wall and regional lymph nodes, eliciting a granulomatous inflammatory reaction with in­ tense eosinophilic infiltration.