Larva Larva A larva (plural: "larvae" ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. The larva's appearance is generally very different from the adult form ("e.g." caterpillars and butterflies) including different unique structures and organs that do not occur in the adult form. Their diet may also be considerably different. Larvae are frequently adapted to environments separate from adults. For example, some larvae such as tadpoles live almost exclusively in aquatic environments, but can live outside water
Ocular larva migrans value in diagnosing ocular toxocariasis. The retinal lesion can mimic retinoblastoma in appearance, and mistaken diagnosis of the latter condition can lead to unnecessary "enucleation". The eye involvement can cause the following inflammatory disorders: In contrast to visceral larva migrans, ocular toxocariasis usually develops in older children or young adults with no history of pica. These patients seldom have eosinophilia or visceral manifestations. Ocular larva migrans Ocular larva migrans (OLM), also known as ocular toxocariasis, is the ocular form of the larva migrans syndrome that occurs when "Toxocara canis" (dog roundworm) larvae invade the eye. They may be associated with