Liver Abscess Secondary to Ascaris Lumbricoides: Case Report

Andrade, Luis Angel Medina; Aguilar, Lizette Blanco; Duarte, Eduardo Vidrio; Rodríguez, Carlos Eduardo Rodríguez; Mendoza, Adriana Paz; Elvira, Ilse Liliana Martinez; Rodríguez, Daniel Flores; Gomez, José Daen Jonathan Cabañas; Araujo, Nestor Apaez; Collazos, Stephanie Serrano; Erazo, Oscar Rodrigo Rocha; Rodriguez, Rene Cano

doi:10.17352/2455-2283.000027

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

References 6 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…In extremely rare cases, parasites, such as Ascaris lumbricoides, are incriminated as the causative organisms [22][23][24]. The eggs and larvae are frequently consumed by contaminated water or food, and the Ascaris lumbricoides' constant and strong motions can cause migration into the hepatobiliary system.…”

Section: Hepatic Abscessmentioning

confidence: 99%

Parasite-Induced Th2 Polarization—An Unusual Cause of Paediatric Hepatic Abscess

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Liver abscess (LA) is a serious infectious disease, but is relatively rare in the paediatric population, especially in developed countries. Mostly, hepatic abscesses are pyogenic, caused by Staphylococcus aureus, while in extremely rare cases can be caused by parasites, such as Ascaris lumbricoides. Antimicrobial therapy and percutaneous drainage are the treatments of choice, lowering the mortality caused by this infection. We report a case of a 3-year-old girl admitted to the hospital for abdominal pain and a low-grade fever, with abdominal ultrasonography revealing a hepatic lesion. Initial laboratory tests showed moderate anaemia, thrombocytosis, eosinophilia, high inflammatory markers, and normal liver function. A computed tomography scan revealed two liver abscesses located subdiaphragmatically, and a high immunoglobulin E (IgE) value (22,300 U/mL). After excluding other possible etiologies, the patient was tested for parasitic infections. IgE for Ascaris lumbricoides came slightly higher. In addition to empirical antibiotic treatment, the patient received albendazole and made an uneventful recovery, with the full remission of the abscesses and without the need for drainage. In certain cases, parasites such as Ascaris lumbricoides are capable of inducing a T helper 2 (Th2) dominated immune response, predisposing the host to eosinophilia, hyperIgE, and increased susceptibility to bacterial infections. Early diagnosis and treatment in these cases may lead to less invasive therapy options in order to obtain a full recovery. To the best of our knowledge, this is the only reported case in the literature of a paediatric patient with parasite-induced liver abscesses, with extremely high IgE values, minimal symptomatology, that made a fast, full recovery without the need of drainage.

show abstract

Section: Hepatic Abscessmentioning

confidence: 99%