Computed tomography diagnosis of intestinal ascariasis: incidental finding in a trauma patient.

• Vol 9 • September 2007 688 A 17 year old girl was referred to the trauma unit after being involved in a bomb explosion in Gaza. She sustained multiple injuries in her chest, abdomen and pelvis. A contrast-enhanced computed tomography scan of the abdomen revealed an incidental finding of multiple curvilinear tubular and cylindrical filling defects in the intestinal lumen. Some of these structures exhibited a whirled pattern [Figure 1]. These findings were suspicious for an intraluminal intestinal infection with roundworm, which was confirmed at emergency abdominal operation performed for traumatic intestinal perforation. In recent years computed tomography has become increasingly popular. Most adult patients suffering from intestinal ascariasis are asymptomatic or present with non-specific complaints. It is important that radiologists be familiar with the CT findings of this infection since the diagnosis may sometimes be initially suggested by the radiologist. Ascariasis is the most common helminthic infection affecting humans [1,2]. It is caused by the roundworm Ascaris lumbricoides, which infects approximately 1 billion people worldwide, mainly in tropical and humid rural areas. In the United States more than 4 million people are infected, most of them immigrants. Infections are primarily related to poor sanitary conditions [3]. In Israel, with the increasing number of Israeli travelers to tropical and subtropical areas and with the inadequate sanitary conditions in Gaza and the West Bank, it is important to be familiar with the clinical and radiological signs of this infection. Computed Tomography Diagnosis of Intestinal Ascariasis: Incidental Finding in a Trauma Patient