An imported human case of hookworm infection with worms in the rectum

, Yong, T S; , Shin, H J; , Im, K I; , Kim, W H

doi:1992.30.1.59

Korean J Parasito > Volume 30(1):1992 > Article

Brief Communication


Korean J Parasitol. 1992 Mar;30(1):59-62. English. Published online Mar 20, 1994. http://dx.doi.org/10.3347/kjp.1992.30.1.59
Copyright © 1992 by The Korean Society for Parasitology


An imported human case of hookworm infection with worms in the rectum
T S Yong,H J Shin,K I Im and W H Kim^*
Department of Parasitology, College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-752, Korea.
^*Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-752, Korea.


Abstract
An imported case of rectal hookworm infection was diagnosed by stool examination and recovery of adult worms from the rectal mucosa by sigmoidoscopy. The chief complaints of a patient were diarrhea, abdominal pain and weight loss for about 1 month after returning from his travel abroad to the Southeast Asia. Leukocytosis(16,750/µl) and peripheral eosinophilia(33.7%) were noticed without anemia. Typical hookworm eggs were detected by stool examination, and 3 worms were collected by sigmoidoscopy from rectal mucosa of this patient. Those worms were confirmed as adult worms of Ancylostoma duodenale(♂:1, ♀:2) based on their morphological characteristics. The symptoms were relieved after treatment with anthelmintics. This case was considered as one of the imported parasitic infections in Korea, and a rare case of hookworm infection on human rectal mucosa.

Figures

Figs. 1-6
Fig. 1. A hookworm egg found from the stool of the present case.

Fig. 2. Gross finding of hookworms infected human rectal mucosa by sigmoidoscopy showing edema, petechial hemorrhage and scattered hookworm adults (arrow heads).

Fig. 3. Pathologic finding showing massive eosinophil infiltrations (arrow heads) in the rectal submucosa.

Fig. 4. A mouth part of a recovered hookworm, showing characteristic 2 pairs of bilaterally symmetrical teeth in the buccal capsule (arrow heads) of Ancylostoma duodenale.

Fig. 5. A tail part of a recovered male hookworm, showing bursa copulatrix of Ancylostoma duodenale.

Fig. 6. A tail part of a recovered female hookworm.

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