Open AccessA young man with bowel obstruction and cachexia
Author(s) -
Polychronis Pavlidis,
Catherine Riley,
Evangelia K. Mylona,
Badri Vijaynagar
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
bmj case reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.231
H-Index - 26
ISSN - 1757-790X
DOI - 10.1136/bcr.07.2008.0499
Subject(s) - medicine , eosinophilia , cachexia , abdomen , gastroenterology , vomiting , strongyloides , abdominal pain , intestinal pseudo obstruction , postprandial , diarrhea , biopsy , bowel obstruction , surgery , immunology , helminths , cancer , insulin
A young man from Jamaica was admitted with cachexia, postprandial epigastric pain and vomiting. His abdominal examination revealed a soft abdomen with hyperactive bowel sounds, the laboratory investigations showed mild anaemia and hypoalbuminaemia, and abdominal x ray showed dilated and oedematous bowel loops. A duodenal biopsy revealed larvae and eggs in the epithelium consisted with Strongyloides infection. In retrospect the patient was found to be HTLV-1 positive. Helminthic infections can present with bowel obstruction even in the absence of eosinophilia or diarrhoea, and should be considered in patients with the appropriate epidemiological background.