As the Worm Turns-A Rare Cause of Intestinal Obstruction.

BACKGROUND: Anisakiasis, a zoonotic disease caused by the nematode Anisakis, poses a significant concern for public health, particularly in regions with high consumption of raw or undercooked fish. CASE PRESENTATION: We present a case report of a 41-year-old woman who developed severe abdominal symptoms, ultimately diagnosed with intestinal obstruction due to Anisakis infestation, requiring surgery. Despite the absence of prominent eosinophilia or specific radiological findings, the diagnosis was confirmed through histological examination, highlighting the importance of considering anisakiasis in patients with a history of raw seafood consumption. CONCLUSION: The case underscores the diagnostic challenges associated with anisakiasis, emphasizing the need for increased awareness among healthcare professionals and the public regarding the risks of consuming raw or undercooked seafood. Effective management requires a multidisciplinary approach, including clinical assessment, imaging studies, and histological evaluation, to ensure timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment.

IgE-mediated Anisakis allergy in children

Anisakids are nematodes responsible for different clinical patterns in humans. The well-known human-infecting Anisakis species include members of the Anisakis simplex (AS) complex. Humans usually contract anisakiasis through ingestion of raw or undercooked seafood containing Anisakis larvae. Once Anisakis has been ingested, patients may develop disease driven directly by Anisakis larvae and/or by allergic reaction due to this nematode. The capability of inducing allergic reactions depends on the expression of specific antigens by nematodes and host factors. This study aims to resume actual knowledge about AS and Anisakiasis with regard to epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment. Particular attention is paid to Anisakis allergens and their cross-reactivity on available diagnostic methods, and defining a diagnostic pathway for Anisakis allergy. Because only a few data are available in the literature about pediatric population, we focus on this group of patients specifically (AU)

Anisakidosis diagnosticada tras la expulsión de vermes en deposiciones: forma poco frecuente de diagnóstico en humanos / Anisakidosis diagnosed after expulsion of worms in stools: a rare form of diagnosis in humans

Resumen La anisakidosis es una zoonosis parasitaria accidental y cosmopolita de los seres humanos, siendo su hospedero definitivo los mamíferos marinos como lobos de mar, focas y delfines, entre otros. El ser humano se infecta por el consumo en estado larvario del nemátodo de la familia Anisakidae presentes en pescados y mariscos crudos como la merluza o el congrio. Los helmintos se ubican preferentemente en el tubo digestivo alto, observándose la regurgitación del parásito a la boca o evidenciándose durante la realización de una endoscopía digestiva alta. En forma infrecuente las larvas pueden migrar al peritoneo o seguir su paso por el intestino delgado y colon, siendo inhabitual la expulsión por las deposiciones. Presentamos el caso de una expulsión dos larvas L3 de la familia Anisakidae en deposiciones.

Abstract Anisakidosis is an accidental and cosmopolitan parasitic zoonosis of human beings, its definitive host being marine mammals such as sea lions, seals and dolphins, among others. Humans are infested by consumption in the larval stage of the nematode of Anisakis present in raw fish and shellfish such as hake or conger eel. The infestation is preferably located in the upper digestive tract, observing the regurgitation of the parasite to the mouth or becoming evident during an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. In rare cases, the larvae can migrate to the peritoneum or continue their passage through the small intestine and colon, with expulsion in stools being unusual. We present a case of expulsion of two larvae of the Anisakidae family in feces.

Anisakiasis gastro-alérgica, primera descripción de un caso en Colombia y revisión bibliográfica / Gastro-allergic anisakiasis: The first case reported in Colombia and a literature review

Resumen La anisakiasis es una enfermedad parasitaria zoonótica causada por el consumo de pescados o mariscos crudos o poco cocidos infectados con nematodos de los géneros Anisakis, Pseudoterranova y Contracaecum. Se describe el primer caso de anisakiasis en Colombia y se resume la literatura médica disponible. Una mujer de 52 años de edad consultó por dolor epigástrico agudo de inicio abrupto, náuseas, vómitos, diarrea y urticaria después de consumir pescado. El examen físico reveló sensibilidad moderada en el epigastrio. El examen de laboratorio evidenció leucocitosis, en tanto que la radiografía simple y el electrocardiograma no reflejaron ninguna anormalidad. El diagnóstico se hizo mediante una endoscopia de vías digestivas altas, la cual reveló engrosamiento de la pared gástrica y un parásito en movimiento. Se encontró una larva de Anisakis y se la extrajo por endoscopia, lo que alivió el dolor de la paciente. Clínicamente, la anisakiasis puede presentarse como una enfermedad gástrica, intestinal, en otros sistemas o alérgica. El diagnóstico se hace con base en la elaboración del historial alimentario del paciente y la visualización directa de las larvas; el único tratamiento efectivo consiste en su extracción endoscópica.

Abstract Anisakiasis is a zoonotic parasitic disease caused by consumption of raw or undercooked fish or seafood infected with nematodes of the Anisakis, Pseudoterranova or Contracaecum genera. Here, we describe the first case of anisakiasis in Colombia and summarize the available literature. A 52-year-old female with a history of abrupt-onset sharp epigastric pain, nausea, vomit, diarrhea, and urticaria following fish consumption consulted the health service. The physical examination revealed moderate tenderness of the epigastric region; the laboratory evaluation showed leukocytosis and a simple X-ray and ECG showed no abnormalities. The diagnosis was made by endoscopic examination, which revealed a thickened gastric wall and a moving larval worm. An Anisakis larva was found and extracted endoscopically, which relieved the pain of the patient. Clinically, anisakiasis may present as a gastric, intestinal, extragastrointestinal or allergic disease. Diagnosis and treatment of anisakiasis are made by a dietary history, direct visualization and endoscopic extraction of possible larvae, which is the only effective therapy.

Anisakiasis como diagnóstico diferencial de dolor abdominal agudo en urgencias / Anisakiasis as differential diagnosis of acute abdominal pain at the emergency department

La anisakiasis es una zoonosis cada vez más prevalente especialmente en países europeos, causada por la ingesta del nemátodo del género Anisakis en su tercer estadio larvario tras el consumo de pescado crudo o poco cocido. Puede producir una afectación gastrointestinal y también una reacción de hipersensibilidad a las proteínas del parasito. Presentamos un caso de anisakiasis gástrica acompañada de hipersensibilidad (forma gastroalérgica) tras la ingesta de pescado crudo.

Anisakiasis is a zoonosis with an increasing prevalence, especially in European countries, caused by the ingestion of the nematode of the genre Anisakis in its third larvae stage after consuming undercooked or raw fish. It may produce gastrointestinal symptoms and hypersensitivity reactions to the proteins of the worm. We present a case of gastric anisakiasis accompanied by hypersensitivity symptoms (gastroallergic form) after the ingestion of raw fish.

Tumoración mesentérica secundaria a anisakiasis crónica / Mesenteric tumor due to chronic anisakiasis

La anisakiasis intestinal es una enfermedad parasitaria rara y de difícil diagnóstico, ya que las manifestaciones clínicas son inespecíficas, por lo que se considera una enfermedad infradiagnosticada. La sospecha clínica junto a un correcto diagnóstico de la anisakiasis permite la instauración de un tratamiento correcto, ya que en la mayoría de los casos es posible la resolución del cuadro con tratamiento conservador, evitando cirugías innecesarias ante el diagnóstico diferencial preoperatorio de abdomen agudo. Presentamos el caso clínico de un paciente que precisó una intervención quirúrgica urgente secundaria a una reagudización de anisakiasis crónica

Intestinal anisakiasis is a rare parasitic disease and difficult to diagnose due to symptoms are not specific, so it is considered an underdiagnosed disease. The clinical suspicion with a correct diagnosis of anisakiasis allows the establishment of a correct treatment; in most cases, the resolution is possible with conservative treatment, avoiding unnecessary surgery to the preoperative differential diagnosis of acute abdomen. We report the case of a patient who required urgent surgery secondary to an exacerbation of chronic anisakiasis

Infección por Anisakis con presentación atípica: a propósito de un caso / Anisakis infection with atypical presentation: Report of a case

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Gastritis aguda por Anisakis / Acute gastritis caused by Anisakis

La anisakiasis es una enfermedad parasitaria que se adquiere al ingerir pescado crudo infestado por larvas de nematodos de la familia Anisakidae. Su diagnóstico es difícil, ya que la sintomatología es muy variable, pudiendo simular diversos cuadros clínicos. Por ello, es fundamental considerar los antecedentes epidemiológicos del paciente (AU)

Anisakiasis is a parasitic disease caused by anisakid nematodes of the family Anisakidae. The disease is transmitted when infective larvae are ingested from raw fish. It is difficult to diagnose as the disease signs and symptoms may vary widely, producing different clinical pictures. For this reason it is essential to take into account the patient's epidemiological history (AU)

Should the host reaction to anisakiasis influence the treatment? Different clinical presentations in two cases / ¿Debe la reacción frente la anisakiasis influir sobre el tratamiento? Presentación clínica

Gastrointestinal anisakiasis is a parasitic infection occurring in people that consume raw or inadequately cooked fish or squid. It is frequently characterized by severe epigastric pain, nausea and vomiting caused by the penetration of the larvae into the gastric wall. Acute gastric anisakiasis with severe chest discomfort is rarely reported in Italy. On the other hand, gastro-allergic anisakiasis with rash, urticaria and isolated angioedema or anaphylaxis is a clinical entity that has been described only recently. Also, if patients usually develop symptoms within 12 hours after raw seafood ingestion, not always endoscopic exploration can promptly identify the Anisakis larvae. Moreover, some authors consider the prevailing allergic reaction as a natural and effective defense against the parasitic attack. We report two cases of peculiar manifestations of anisakiasis in both acute and chronic forms (severe chest discomfort and anaphylactoid reaction)(AU)

Anisakiasis, un atentado culinario prevenible contra el tracto gastrointestinal / Anisakiasis, a preventable culinary attempt for the gastrointestinal tract

Nuevos hábitos culinarios se han esparcido, desde las culturas originales, para convertirse en costumbres universales. El riesgo que esta globalización puede aparejar probablemente sea subestimado, a no ser que los gastroenterólogos estén conscientes de nuevas enfermedades relacionadas, por ejemplo, con la presencia de agentes infecciosos. Anisakiasis es una de tales enfermedades, relacionadas con la ingestión de pescado crudo o poco cocido, que se presenta en la cultura japonesa, (“el sushi”, “sashimi”), áreas en Sudamérica (“ceviche”), España (“anchoas de vinagre”) y Países Bajos (el pescado crudo). La prevención, está relacionada con la manipulación apropiada, la cocción adecuada y el almacenamiento en frío del pescado. Anisakiasis podría convertirse en un problema clínico serio, debido al compromiso gástrico con ulceraciones, dolor y raras veces pseudotumores en la pared digestiva. El compromiso del intestino delgado es también considerable, secundario a una reacción inflamatoria local severa con edema y estenosis intestinal que simula una obstrucción intestinal. El tratamiento esteroidal generalmente resuelve la crisis, de lo contrario la cirugía es requerida. La reacción alérgica a la presencia del parásito puede llegar a ser un grave problema. La presente revisión trata de aspectos clínicos patológicos, así como del ciclo del parásito, instrumentos diagnósticos y manejo terapéutico.

New culinary habits have been spread, from their original cultures, to become universally known today. They are probably not or insufficiently considered as risky, unless the gastroenterologists become aware of new diseases related for instance with the presence of infective agents. Anisakiasis is one of such diseases, related with the ingestion of raw or undercooked fish, with occurrence in the Japanese culture, (“Sushi”, “sashimi”), areas in South America (“Ceviche”), Spain (“vinegar anchovies”) and The Netherlands (Raw fish). Prevention is related with proper manipulation, cooking and fish frozen storage. Anisakiasis could become a severe clinical problem, because of gastric involvement with ulcerations, pain and rarely intramural pseudotumors. Small intestine involvement is also considerable due to severe inflammatory local reaction, with edema and intense narrowing of the intestinal lumen that mimics intestinal obstruction. Steroidal treatment often solves the crisis. Allergic and general reaction to the occurrence of the parasite is also sometimes a big problem. The present review deals with clinical pathological aspects, as well as parasite cycle, diagnostic tools and treatment.

Anisakiasis intestinal diagnosticada por enteroclisis / Intestinal anisakiasis diagnosed by enteroclysis

La anisakiasis es una parasitación frecuente en nuestro medio y que da lugar a cuadros de dolor abdominal que pueden simular otras patologías, incluyendo situaciones quirúrgicas (apendicitis o peritonitis), pero generalmente autolimitadas. Presentamos un caso de una paciente de 48 años con dolor abdominal agudo, febrícula y hallazgos patológicos en TAC (propios de un cuadro inflamatorio intestinal), en la que la realización de una enteroclisis fue capaz de identificar larvas de Anisakis. La paciente evolucionó favorablemente con tratamiento conservador y el patrón radiológico volvió a la normalidad. En nuestro caso, la posibilidad de contar con una técnica radiológica objetiva que sirvió de ayuda al diagnóstico proporcionó datos muy útiles en el manejo de la paciente. Se revisan las características clínicas y radiológicas de la enfermedad (AU)

Anisakiasis is a common infestation in our setting that produces abdominal pain that can simulate other diseases including surgical conditions (symptoms of acute abdomen, mimicking appendicitis or peritonitis), but it is generally a self-limiting process. We report a case of a 48-year-old female with acute abdominal pain, fever and pathological findings on the CT scan (inflammatory bow condition). Anisakis larvae could be identified by the enteroclysis. The patient evolved favorably with conservative treatment and radiologic intestinal pattern returned to normal. The possibility of a radiological technical to assist in the diagnosis provided very useful data in the management of our patient. The radiological and clinical features of the disease are reviewed (AU)

The Mucosal Changes and Influencing Factors in Upper Gastrointestinal Anisakiasis: Analysis of 141 Cases / 대한소화기학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Anisakiasis is a well known parasitosis resulted from eating raw seafoods and there were many reports of cases. However, its endoscopic and clinical characteristics have not been reviewed well. The aim of this study was to clarify the gastric mucosal changes and influencing factors of upper gastrointestinal (UGI) anisakiasis. METHODS: We analyzed retrospectively the endoscopic and clinical characteristics of 141 cases with UGI anisakiasis diagnosed during UGI endoscopy, based on the review of medical records. The patients' data were collected consecutively from October 1999 through September 2006. RESULTS: In the 141 patients with UGI anisakiasis, the peak age was the 40s (44.7%). The female to male ratio was 1.82:1. The most prevailed season was winter (41.1%). The most frequent symptom was acute epigastric pain and 76.6% of the patients developed symptoms within 12 hours after the ingestion of raw seafoods. The greater curvature of body was the most preferred site of anisakid larvae. The median time from meal to symptom onset was shortest in esophageal location and longest in fundus location (3 vs. 18.7 hours). The various mucosal changes were observed and the most frequent mucosal change was edema (90.8%). Submucosal tumor was also found in 31.9% of the patients. The severity of mucosal change was related inversely with the time interval from meal to endoscopy (p=0.048). CONCLUSIONS: Anisakiasis presented various mucosal changes depending on the time interval from ingestion of raw seafood to endoscopy. Delayed endoscopy may lead chronic mucosal change and cause difficulty in the detection of anisakiasis. Therefore, the prompt endoscopic examination is required for the patients presenting acute gastrointestinal symptoms after taking raw fish.

Anisakiasis múltiple / No disponible

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Utilidad de la anamnesis y de las técnicas inmunológicas en el diagnóstico de la anisakidosis en pacientes con abdomen agudo / No disponible

Introducción: Anisakis simplex puede producir síntomas digestivosy alérgicos. En este trabajo se evalúan los antecedentesepidemiológicos y los resultados inmunológicos para diferenciarentre pacientes con anisakidosis y aquellos con otras patologíasdigestivas que cursan con dolor abdominal.Pacientes y método: estudio de cohortes realizado con 134pacientes: 52 fueron diagnosticados de anisakidosis por los hallazgosquirúrgicos y anatomopatológicos y/o seroconversión específicafrente a A. simplex (grupo A) y en 82 pacientes la anisakidosisfue excluida como diagnóstico (grupo NA: no-anisakidosis). Sehan evaluado el antecedente de ingesta de pescado crudo, laprueba cutánea en prick (PC) y el inmunoblot IgE como elementosde diagnóstico.Resultados: los pacientes de los grupos A y NA mostraron resultadosdiferentes respecto a la de ingesta de pescado crudo (p <0,0001) y la PC (p < 0,0001), con valores predictivos negativos(VPN) del 98,39 y 95,56% y positivos (VPP) del 70,83 y 87,50%,respectivamente. En el inmunoblot, se halló una banda de aproximadamente60 kDa en el 86,2 y 19,2% de los pacientes del grupoA y NA, respectivamente (VPP: 62,50%; VPN: 94,03%).Conclusiones: en pacientes con dolor abdominal, la ingesta depescado crudo o poco cocinado tiene elevada sensibilidad y VPN(98,39%) pero menor VPP (70,83%), por lo que nos ayuda principalmentea descartar la anisakidosis. La ausencia de sensibilizacióncutánea al extracto crudo de A. simplex apoya la ausencia de anisakidosiscon una probabilidad alta (95,56%). La presencia de una bandade 60 kDa en el inmunoblot podría ser útil para su diagnóstico

Introduction: Anisakis simplex can be a cause of digestivesymptoms. Our aim was to evaluate the epidemiological antecedentsand immunological data available for a differentiationbetween patients with anisakidosis and those with other acute abdominalproblems.Patients and methods: this is a prospective cohort study involving134 patients with acute abdominal problems: 52 patientswere diagnosed with anisakidosis by means of surgical and pathologicalfindings and/or specific IgE seroconversion againstAnisakis simplex (group A), and in 82 patients anisakidosis hadbeen ruled out (group NA: non-anisakidosis). We evaluated theantecedent of raw fish ingestion, the skin prick test, and IgE immunoblottingas diagnostic tools.Results: patients in groups A and NA differ in terms of priorraw fish ingestion (p < 0.0001) and positive SPT (p < 0.0001),with their respective negative predictive values (NPV) being98.39% (95%CI: 90.17-99.92) and 95.56% (95%CI: 83.64-99.23). Regarding immunoblotting, in 86.2% of patients in groupA a band of 60 kDa was detected, which was also detected in19.2% of patients in group NA.Conclusions: a negative answer to the question about raw orundercooked fish ingestion has very high sensitivity and NPV(98.39%), and is thus reasonably reliable to rule out anisakidosis.The absence of cutaneous sensitization to crude A. simplex extractgives a high probability (95.56%) that the illness is absent.The presence of a band of about 60 kDa in immunoblotting would be useful for diagnosis (AU)