Hyperinfection with Strongyloides stercoralis.

Strongyloidiasis is caused by Strongyloides stercoralis, which commonly produces gastrointestinal problems. If immune systems are compromised, the nematode larvae may spread and produce Strongyloides hyperinfection. Diagnosis of strongyloidiasis is based on the observation of larvae in coproparasitological studies. We present a case of a 49-year-oldman, VIH, who developed Strongyloides hyperinfection, diagnosed postmortem. Our patient reached the dissemination stage, which resulted in severe damage to the stomach and intestine, perforation of the intestinal wall, as well as sepsis due to the dissemination of bacteria. The diagnosis is difficult because of the low larvae excretion in stools. It is usually performed by the microscopic examination of fresh and fixed enriched stool samples. Serology was reported to be useful for screening and follow-up after treatment. This case reaffirms that HIV immunosuppression favours the dissemination of S stercoralis larvae. Thus, a search for intestinal parasites should be considered in similar cases.

Overt gastrointestinal bleeding because of hookworm infection.

Hookworm infection is a relatively common cause of anemia in endemic areas. The most common hookworm species are Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus. In this report we present a case of overt gastrointestinal bleeding because of hookworm infection. Capsule endoscopy revealed many hookworms in the lumen of proximal jejunum where active bleeding was seen. The patient was successfully treated with Albendazole.

Capsule endoscopy is a feasible procedure for identifying a Diphyllobothrium nihonkaiense infection and determining the indications for vermifuge treatment.

Diphyllobothrium is a member of Cestoda family, which is the largest parasite of humans. The diagnosis of diphyllobothriasis is based on the detection of eggs in the stool. Because the remainder of the scolex causes a relapse in diphyllobothriasis, the scolex must be completely discharged to cure the parasite infection. However, the scolex or forefront of the Diphyllobothrium is difficult to detect with gastroduodenoscopy and colonoscopy, because most Diphyllobothrium attach to the jejunal wall. In the present case, capsule endoscopy detected proglottids as well as forefront of the parasite at jejunum. Based on the results of capsule endoscopy, the patient underwent additional vermifuge (anthelminthic) treatment to cure the diphyllobothriasis and discharged a worm measuring 3 m in length with a scolex. Capsule endoscopy is a practical option to determine whether additional vermifuge treatment is required through the detection of the proglottids as well as a scolex or forefront of the parasite.

[Case report: an intestinal obstruction due to ascariasis]. / Olgu Sunumu: Ascariasise Bagli Intestinal Obstrüksiyon.

Ascaris lumbricoides (A. lumbricoides) with which one billion people around the world is infected is also widely seen in Turkey. This case report presents an ascariasis infection which displayed typical radiological findings in Kocaeli, a non-endemic region of Turkey. The patient was admitted to hospital with symptoms of heavy abdominal pain, nausea-vomiting and weakness. The symptoms had started weakly three weeks earlier and the patient had applied to a private health care center. After a through examination with several appropriate tests including a barium small-bowel enema, a morphological finding similar to helminth was observed filling the lumen of the jejunum. When rectal swabs were examined A. lumbricoides oocytes were discovered. The patient was treated for two days with nasogastric drainage, piperazine (3.5 gr/day) in addition to a supportive therapy. The patient was surgically diagnosed to have a jejunal obstruction due to ascariasis.

[Acute abdomen by anisakiasis and globalization]. / Addome acuto da anisakiasi e globalizzazione.

OBJECTIVES: The AA report a case of a patient with acute abdomen caused by intestinal Anisakiasis, a fish-transmitted infection that results from ingestion of raw or improperly cooked fish contaminated by live larvae of Anisakis Simplex, a round worm from the order of Ascaridida. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A 33-year-old man, presented to the emergency room with severe upper abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, without fever. The patient revealed that he had eaten pickled anchovies a few days before. RESULTS: On the exploratory laparotomy an edematous and stenotic tract of 15 cm of jejunum was found, and a segmental resection was performed. Histologically, the resected jejunum showed a conspicuous and diffuse inflammatory infiltration, predominantly made up of eosinophil granulocytes, numerous mucosal erosions and the presence in the submucosa of sections of parasites which were identified as Anisakis Simplex larvae. DISCUSSION: The ingestion of fish contaminated by Anisakis larva is often followed by the appearance of systemic or gastrointestinal symptoms due respectively to the direct larva localization and the allergic reaction to some parasite components. Diagnosis is made frequently difficult by clinical manifestations that could mimic symptoms of other diseases more common in Italy. CONCLUSIONS: Globalization has made Anisakiasis a more and more frequent disease worldwide, as increased mixture of different cultures and international travelling has allowed the spreading of risky feeding habits. That's why Anisakiasis should be considered in differential diagnosis of intestinal obstruction in patients with positive anamnesis for suspiciously cooked or conserved seafood eating.

Intestinal anisakidosis (anisakiosis).

A case of intestinal anisakidosis in a 42-year-old man in Japan is presented. His chief complaint was an acute onset of severe abdominal pain. Approximately 12 hours before the onset of this symptom, he had eaten sliced raw mackerel ("sashimi"). Upper endoscopy was unremarkable. At exploratory laparotomy, an edematous, diffusely thickened segment of jejunum was observed, which was resected. The postoperative course was uneventful. The segment of small intestine showed a granular indurated area on the mucosal surface, and microscopically, a helminthic larva penetrating the intestinal wall, which was surrounded by a cuff of numerous neutrophils and eosinophils, as well as diffuse acute serositis. A cross section of the larva revealed the internal structures, pathognomonic of Anisakis simplex. Although anisakidosis is rare in the United States, with the increasing popularity of Japanese cuisine, the incidence is expected to increase, and pathologists should be familiar with this disease.

Substance P is responsible for physiological alterations such as increased chloride ion secretion and glucose malabsorption in cryptosporidiosis.

Cryptosporidiosis, caused by the protozoan parasite Cryptosporidium, causes self-limited diarrhea in immunocompetent hosts and severe life-threatening diarrhea in AIDS patients. Highly active antiretroviral therapy has been used to effectively treat cryptosporiosis in some but not all AIDS patients. Therefore, there is an urgent need for innovative drugs to treat this disease. Cryptosporidium infection results in intestinal pathophysiological changes such as glucose malabsorption, increased chloride ion (Cl(-)) secretion, and epithelial barrier disruption, leading to disease pathogenesis. In order to develop tools to combat this opportunistic pathogen, it is vital to understand mediators involved in disease pathogenesis. Substance P (SP), a neuropeptide and pain transmitter, is located in the gastrointestinal tract. SP can cause Cl(-) secretion in human gastrointestinal explants. However, its role in cryptosporidiosis has not been fully studied. Jejunal samples from macaques before and after Cryptosporidium parvum infection were assayed for SP and SP receptor mRNA and protein levels by reverse transcription-PCR and by immunohistochemistry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. The role of SP in pathophysiological alterations, such as Cl(-) secretion and glucose malabsorption, was studied using tissues derived from macaques infected with C. parvum by the Ussing chamber technique. SP and SP receptor mRNA and protein expression levels were increased in jejunal samples following C. parvum infection and were accompanied by increased basal ion secretion and glucose malabsorption. In vitro treatment of samples obtained from infected macaques with the SP receptor antagonist aprepitant (Emend; Merck, Whitehouse Station, NJ) completely reversed the increase in basal ion secretion and corrected the glucose malabsorption. Our findings raise the possibility of using SP receptor antagonists for the treatment of symptoms associated with cryptosporidiosis.