A Disseminated Strongyloidiasis Associated with Colon Cancer -A Case Report-

Morio Ohta, Osamu Ohta, Osamu Kinjo, Yasushi Ohmine, Hiroshi Shiroma, Morio Kina, Kageharu Koja, Akira Kusaba

The Second Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus

We present a case of disseminated Strongyloides stercoralis infection associated by colon cancer. A 69-year-old Japanese woman was admitted to the Ryukyu University Hospital because of abdominal distention with pain and productive cough. A large tumor was found near the hepatic flexure of the transverse colon by barium enema and endoscopic examination. Numerous filariform as well as rhabditiform larvae of stercoralis were detected in the sputum. Culture of the sputum yielded Escherichia coli. Endoscopic biopsy of the mucosal layer of the duodenum revealed typical larvae of stercorails. The patient was treated by oral administration of thiabendazole (2-3 mg/day) for 6 days before surgery, and underwent partial resection of the transverse colon and colostomy. The microscopic diagnosis of the resected specimen was mucinous carcinoma. Administration of thiabendazole was continued through a nasogastric tube postoperatively and the productive cough was greatly alleviated. Coexistence of stronglyoidiasis in patients with chronic abdominal distress symptoms deserves more attention.

Key words
strongyloidiasis, thiabendazole, colon cancer

Reprint requests
Morio Ohta The Second Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus
207 Uehara, Nishihara, Okinawa, 903-01, JAPAN

Accepted
April 17, 1991

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