Computed Tomographic Appearance of Massive Intestinal Ascariasis in a Pediatric Patient.
4 affiliations
- 1Radiology, University of Florida College of Medicine - Jacksonville, Jacksonville, USA.
- 2Radiology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, USA.
- 3Pediatrics, Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, Rochester, USA.
- 4Pediatric Radiology, Nemours Children's Health System, Jacksonville, USA.
Abstract
Ascaris lumbricoides is among the most common intestinal helminths worldwide but is encountered less frequently in the United States. Although uncomplicated ascariasis is diagnosed clinically and by stool examination, imaging becomes important when intestinal obstruction or another complication is suspected. We report a nine-year-old boy who had recently emigrated from Guatemala and was transferred from an outside emergency department for severe abdominal pain and concern for small bowel obstruction. Computed tomography (CT) demonstrated an extensive burden of elongated, curvilinear intraluminal structures throughout the small bowel, several containing central gas, with associated bowel dilatation. Notably, the initial outside interpretation favored fecalized bowel contents, and the diagnosis was recognized only after the history of vomited worms prompted a radiology addendum. Stool examination confirmed A. lumbricoides ova. The child was managed conservatively with albendazole and bowel cleanout, and serial abdominal radiographs demonstrated progressive reduction in the visible worm burden without surgery. This case illustrates both the striking imaging appearance of massive intestinal ascariasis and a clinically important diagnostic pitfall in its recognition.
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BibTeX
@article{rynor2026computed,
title = {{Computed Tomographic Appearance of Massive Intestinal Ascariasis in a Pediatric Patient.}},
author = {Helen Rynor and Sai R Vulasala and Kevin Pierre and Ruben G Ortiz Cordero and Anthony I Zarka},
journal = {Cureus},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.7759/cureus.116778},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42921554},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Computed Tomographic Appearance of Massive Intestinal Ascariasis in a Pediatric Patient.
AU - Helen Rynor
AU - Sai R Vulasala
AU - Kevin Pierre
AU - Ruben G Ortiz Cordero
AU - Anthony I Zarka
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/23
JO - Cureus
DO - 10.7759/cureus.116778
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42921554
AB - Ascaris lumbricoides is among the most common intestinal helminths worldwide but is encountered less frequently in the United States. Although uncomplicated ascariasis is diagnosed clinically and by stool examination, imaging becomes important when intestinal obstruction or another complication is suspected. We report a nine-year-old boy who had recently emigrated from Guatemala and was transferred from an outside emergency department for severe abdominal pain and concern for small bowel obstruction. Computed tomography (CT) demonstrated an extensive burden of elongated, curvilinear intraluminal structures throughout the small bowel, several containing central gas, with associated bowel dilatation. Notably, the initial outside interpretation favored fecalized bowel contents, and the diagnosis was recognized only after the history of vomited worms prompted a radiology addendum. Stool examination confirmed A. lumbricoides ova. The child was managed conservatively with albendazole and bowel cleanout, and serial abdominal radiographs demonstrated progressive reduction in the visible worm burden without surgery. This case illustrates both the striking imaging appearance of massive intestinal ascariasis and a clinically important diagnostic pitfall in its recognition.
SN - 2168-8184
ER -