Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
- Volume 37 Issue 3
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- Pages.189-194
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- 1999
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- 2982-5164(pISSN)
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- 1738-0006(eISSN)
An incidental case of human Heterophyes nocens infection diagnosed by sectional morphology in a biopsy specimen of the small intestine
- Ryang, Yong-Suk (Department of Medical Technology, College of Health Sciences) ;
- Lee, Chi-Young (Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University) ;
- Lee, Kyu-Jae (Department of Parasitology, Wonju College of Medicine, Yonsei University) ;
- Lee, Soon-Hyung (Department of Parasitology, Seoul National University College of Medicine) ;
- Chai, Jong-Yil (Institute of Endemic Diseases, Seoul National University Medical Research Center)
- Published : 1999.09.01
Abstract
A case of human infection with Heterophyes nocens (Heterophyidae) was incidentally found in a biopsy specimen of the Meckel's diverticulum at the upper part of the small intestine. The patient was a 58-year-old man living in a rural area of Talsong-gun, Kyongsangbuk-do.He had gastrointestinal symptoms such as epigastric pain, indigestion, and abdominal discomfort for 3 months, and severe diarrhea, abdominal pain, and vomiting for about 1 month before hospitalization. Endoscopy of the upper part of the small intestine revealed a Meckel's diverticulum, and it was excised and histo-pathologically examined. Three adult flukes were incidentally found sectioned in the mucosa, and they were identified as H.nocens. The patient had a history of eating raw mullets at a fish market in Pusan 6 months ago, and the mullets were presumed to be the source of infection. This case brings a considerable interest in that specific diagnosis of heterophyid infections could be done by sectional morphology of the worms.
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