Jejunal perforation caused by abdominal angiostrongyliasis

The authors describe a case of abdominal angiostrongyliasis in an adult patient presenting acute abdominal pain caused by jejunal perforation. The case was unusual, as this affliction habitually involves the terminal ileum, appendix, cecum or ascending colon. The disease is caused by the nematode Angiostrongylus costaricensis, whose definitive hosts are forest rodents while snails and slugs are its intermediate hosts. Infection in humans is accidental and occurs via the ingestion of snail or slug mucoid secretions found on vegetables, or by direct contact with the mucus. Abdominal angiostrongyliasis is clinically characterized by prolonged fever, anorexia, abdominal pain in the right-lower quadrant, and peripheral blood eosinophilia. Although usually of a benign nature, its course may evolve to more complicated forms such as intestinal obstruction or perforation likely to require a surgical approach. Currently, no efficient medication for the treatment of abdominal angiostrongyliasis is known to be available. In this study, the authors provide a review on the subject, considering its etiopathogeny, clinical picture, diagnosis and treatment.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	WAISBERG,Jaques, CORSI,Carlos Eduardo, REBELO,Marisa Valente, VIEIRA,Vilma Therezinha Trench, BROMBERG,Sansom Henrique, SANTOS,Paulo Amaral dos, MONTEIRO,Rodrigo
Format:	Digital revista
Language:	English
Published:	Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo 1999
Online Access:	http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0036-46651999000500010
Tags:	Add Tag No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!