Korean J Parasitol.  1999 Sep;37(3):189-194. 10.3347/kjp.1999.37.3.189.

An incidental case of human Heterophyes nocens infection diagnosed by sectional morphology in a biopsy specimen of the small intestine

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Medical Technology, College of Health Sciences, Yonsei University, Wonju, Korea. ryangys@dragon.yonsei.ac.kr

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 Talsonggun, 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 histopathologically 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.


MeSH Terms

Animal
Biopsy
Case Report
Heterophyidae/isolation & purification*
Human
Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic/diagnosis*
Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic/complications
Intestine, Small/pathology
Intestine, Small/parasitology*
Male
Meckel's Diverticulum/parasitology
Meckel's Diverticulum/complications
Middle Age
Trematode Infections/diagnosis*
Trematode Infections/complications
Full Text Links
  • KJP
Actions
Cited
CITED
export Copy
Close
Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
Similar articles
Copyright © 2024 by Korean Association of Medical Journal Editors. All rights reserved.     E-mail: koreamed@kamje.or.kr