A case of pleural effusion caused by infection from Toxocara canis

Methods The patient was a 56-year old Caucasian woman suffering from rheumatoid arthritis since 1995. She was subsequently diagnosed with Sjoegren’s syndrome and autoimmune thyroiditis. In 2009, the patient had a skin rash which disappeared after corticosteroid treatment. In January 2012 a routine chest X-ray detected a pleural effusion, that was treated by various cycles of antibiotics and corticosteroids without improvement. The patient was then referred to us because of a concomitant eosinophilia. She also had difficulty in breathing, and allergy was suspected as a possible cause. The patient underwent allergy tests, parasitological evaluation and a routine blood examination, including IgG antibodies to T. canis.