Human Dirofilariasis with Intraoral Localization: A Literature Review

Background: Genus Dirofilaria consists of 27 species of parasitic nematodes, 7 of which have been reported to cause disease in humans. The transmission of the parasitic larva to humans and other mammals occurs through the bite of an infected mosquito, which, in this case, in addition to being the intermediate host, acts also as a disease transmission vector. The initial diagnosis of a patient with dirofilariasis is almost always incorrect, and in a large number of cases, the final diagnosis is only achieved retrospectively, thanks to the findings of the histopathological examination. Therefore, the purpose of the present review is to collect, analyze, summarize and present the relevant epidemiological, clinical, diagnostic, parasitological, therapeutic and prognostic data concerning the aforementioned localization of dirofilariasis in a systematic manner. Methods: An electronic search was performed in PubMed, the Scopus and Ovid databases and in Google Scholar, with them being accessed for the last time on 2 August 2025. This was followed by a manual search, and references were used to identify relevant articles. Results: The present review retrieved 32 publications discussing 43 cases of human intraoral dirofilariasis. As per the study design, the records were published in 2015–2025, and the cases presented by them were observed in 1951–2024. Conclusions: The aim of the present review is to summarize the relevant epidemiological, clinical, diagnostic, parasitological, therapeutic and prognostic data regarding the oral localization of dirofilariasis, a zoonotic helminthiasis which is transmitted by mosquitoes. Even though its manifestation in the oral cavity appears to be extremely rare, dentists and other clinicians should be familiar with this entity and should include it in the differential diagnosis of any solitary nodule with submucous localization, especially in patients living in endemic regions or who have a history of recent travel to an endemic region. Climate change on the one hand and the increase in international travel on the other are estimated to make dirofilariasis more common in countries from which it used to be absent.