Calabar swelling is produced by –
So the core concept here is the pathophysiology of Loa loa infection. The Calabar swelling is a localized inflammatory response caused by the migration of adult Loa loa worms under the skin. The immune system reacts to the presence of the worm, leading to these characteristic swellings. The question is testing the student's knowledge of the clinical manifestations of different parasitic infections.
Now, the correct answer is D. If the options were something like Loa loa, Onchocerca volvulus, Wuchereria bancrofti, and Dracunculus medinensis, then D would be Loa loa. I need to make sure that the other options are indeed not associated with Calabar swellings. Let's check each wrong option.
Option A might be Onchocerca volvulus. That's responsible for river blindness, causing microfilariae in the skin and eye lesions, but not Calabar swellings. Option B could be Wuchereria bancrofti, which causes lymphatic filariasis, leading to elephantiasis, not Calabar swellings. Option C might be Dracunculus medinensis, causing Guinea worm disease with subcutaneous nodules, but again not Calabar swellings.
The clinical pearl here is to remember that Calabar swelling is a hallmark of Loa loa infection. Students should note that the swellings are migratory and can be painful, and the presence of microfilariae in the blood is another key diagnostic feature. Also, in endemic areas, the diagnosis might be made through the visualization of the worm in the eye or under the skin.
**Core Concept**
Calabar swelling is a subcutaneous inflammatory lesion caused by the migration of adult *Loa loa* (African eye worm) under the skin. It is a hallmark clinical feature of loiasis, a filarial disease transmitted by deerflies (*Chrysops* spp.). The immune response to the worm's movement triggers localized edema and erythema.
**Why the Correct Answer is Right**
*Loa loa* is the only filarial nematode associated with Calabar swellings. When adult worms migrate subcutaneously, they provoke a hypersensitivity reaction involving mast cell degranulation, eosinophil infiltration, and cytokine release. The swelling is typically migratory, tender, and transient, resolving as the worm moves deeper into subcutaneous tissues. Diagnosis often involves visualizing the worm in the anterior chamber of the eye or detecting microfilariae in peripheral blood.
**Why Each Wrong Option is Incorrect**
**Option A:** *Onchocerca volvulus* causes river blindness, characterized by onchocercomas and skin nodules, not Calabar swellings.
**Option B:** *Wuchereria bancrofti* causes lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis), with microfilariae in lymphatics,