Coincidence of Ascariasis with Appendicitis in a Pediatric Patient with abdominal Pain; a Case Report
The simultaneous occurrence of intestinal ascariasis and appendicitis presents a challenge in diagnosing pediatric abdominal emergencies due to overlapping symptoms. We present the case of an 8-year-old boy who experienced acute abdominal pain, characterized by a severe cramp in the mid and lower r...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences
2023-11-01
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| Series: | Archives of Academic Emergency Medicine |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.sbmu.ac.ir/aaem/index.php/AAEM/article/view/2187 |
| _version_ | 1797594128379281408 |
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| author | Marzieh Aalinezhad Mohammad Saleh Jafarpishe Yosra Naderi Mahdi Shahsavan Zahra Souri |
| author_facet | Marzieh Aalinezhad Mohammad Saleh Jafarpishe Yosra Naderi Mahdi Shahsavan Zahra Souri |
| author_sort | Marzieh Aalinezhad |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
The simultaneous occurrence of intestinal ascariasis and appendicitis presents a challenge in diagnosing pediatric abdominal emergencies due to overlapping symptoms. We present the case of an 8-year-old boy who experienced acute abdominal pain, characterized by a severe cramp in the mid and lower right abdomen, with pain rated 7 out of 10, a mild fever, and continuous nausea. The initial evaluation suggested appendicitis, supported by an Alvarado score of 9. However, ultrasonography did not conclusively confirm appendicitis but revealed an Ascaris worm in the ileum. This finding highlights the importance of careful diagnostic processes that combine clinical assessment with imaging techniques, while being mindful of their limitations. Surgical exploration confirmed retrocecal appendicitis coexisting with an Ascaris lumbricoides infection. The treatment involved surgical removal of the affected appendix and pharmacological expulsion of the parasitic worm using albendazole, which proved effective. This report emphasizes the consideration of ascariasis in diagnosing appendicitis, particularly in areas where intestinal parasites are common. It also demonstrated the improved diagnostic accuracy achieved through clinical scoring and imaging, thus reducing the risk of missing dual pathologies in young patients with acute abdominal pain.
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| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T02:19:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-312eb19222f642b48519da021b27c72b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2645-4904 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T02:19:10Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Archives of Academic Emergency Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-312eb19222f642b48519da021b27c72b2023-11-18T10:58:02ZengShahid Beheshti University of Medical SciencesArchives of Academic Emergency Medicine2645-49042023-11-0112110.22037/aaem.v12i1.2187Coincidence of Ascariasis with Appendicitis in a Pediatric Patient with abdominal Pain; a Case ReportMarzieh Aalinezhad0Mohammad Saleh Jafarpishe1Yosra Naderi2Mahdi Shahsavan3Zahra Souri4Department of Radiology, Kashani University Hospital, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.Department of Radiology, Kashani University Hospital, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.Department of Radiology, Kashani University Hospital, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.Department of Radiology, Kashani University Hospital, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.Department of Radiology, Kashani University Hospital, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran. The simultaneous occurrence of intestinal ascariasis and appendicitis presents a challenge in diagnosing pediatric abdominal emergencies due to overlapping symptoms. We present the case of an 8-year-old boy who experienced acute abdominal pain, characterized by a severe cramp in the mid and lower right abdomen, with pain rated 7 out of 10, a mild fever, and continuous nausea. The initial evaluation suggested appendicitis, supported by an Alvarado score of 9. However, ultrasonography did not conclusively confirm appendicitis but revealed an Ascaris worm in the ileum. This finding highlights the importance of careful diagnostic processes that combine clinical assessment with imaging techniques, while being mindful of their limitations. Surgical exploration confirmed retrocecal appendicitis coexisting with an Ascaris lumbricoides infection. The treatment involved surgical removal of the affected appendix and pharmacological expulsion of the parasitic worm using albendazole, which proved effective. This report emphasizes the consideration of ascariasis in diagnosing appendicitis, particularly in areas where intestinal parasites are common. It also demonstrated the improved diagnostic accuracy achieved through clinical scoring and imaging, thus reducing the risk of missing dual pathologies in young patients with acute abdominal pain. https://journals.sbmu.ac.ir/aaem/index.php/AAEM/article/view/2187AscariasisUltrasonographyDiagnostic imagingAscaris lumbricoidesPediatric emergency medicineAppendicitis |
| spellingShingle | Marzieh Aalinezhad Mohammad Saleh Jafarpishe Yosra Naderi Mahdi Shahsavan Zahra Souri Coincidence of Ascariasis with Appendicitis in a Pediatric Patient with abdominal Pain; a Case Report Archives of Academic Emergency Medicine Ascariasis Ultrasonography Diagnostic imaging Ascaris lumbricoides Pediatric emergency medicine Appendicitis |
| title | Coincidence of Ascariasis with Appendicitis in a Pediatric Patient with abdominal Pain; a Case Report |
| title_full | Coincidence of Ascariasis with Appendicitis in a Pediatric Patient with abdominal Pain; a Case Report |
| title_fullStr | Coincidence of Ascariasis with Appendicitis in a Pediatric Patient with abdominal Pain; a Case Report |
| title_full_unstemmed | Coincidence of Ascariasis with Appendicitis in a Pediatric Patient with abdominal Pain; a Case Report |
| title_short | Coincidence of Ascariasis with Appendicitis in a Pediatric Patient with abdominal Pain; a Case Report |
| title_sort | coincidence of ascariasis with appendicitis in a pediatric patient with abdominal pain a case report |
| topic | Ascariasis Ultrasonography Diagnostic imaging Ascaris lumbricoides Pediatric emergency medicine Appendicitis |
| url | https://journals.sbmu.ac.ir/aaem/index.php/AAEM/article/view/2187 |
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