[Human pentastomiasis: clinical, radiological and x-ray computed tomographic study of a case]. / Pentastomose humaine: étude clinique, radiologique et tomodensitométrique d'un cas.

A case of abdominal pentastomiasis in a 38-year-old Congolese man is reported. This parasitic disease has been described in Central Africa and South East Asia. The patient presented with unexplained permanent abdominal pain. The peritoneal and hepatic localisations of the parasite were recognized on plain abdominal film and documented by ultrasonography and CT scan studies. At laparoscopy multiples adherences were found, in spite of the fact that no previous abdominal surgery had been performed. These findings suggest a possible correlation between the clinical manifestations and the anatomic lesions in this disease which is usually considered to be asymptomatic.