A case of fatal hyperinfective strongyloidiasis with discovery of autoinfective filariform larvae in sputum.
The autoinfective filariform larva of Strongyloides stercoralis causes hyperinfection in immunosuppressed hosts. Here we report on the case of a male patient who was admitted to the emergency room at Gwangju Veterans Hospital with a complaint of dyspnea, and who was receiving corticosteroid therapy for asthma. Many slender larvae of S. stercoralis with a notched tail were detected in Papanicolaou stained sputum. They measured 269 +/- 21.2 microm in length and 11 +/- 0.6 microm in width. The esophagus extended nearly half of the body length. The larvae were identified putatively as autoinfective third-stage filariform larvae, and their presence was fatal. The autoinfective filariform larva of S. stercoralis has not been previously reported in Korea.
Kim
Jin
J
Department of Parasitology, College of Medicine, Seonam University, Namwon, Korea. jinkim@seonam.ac.kr
Joo
Hyun-Soo
HS
Ko
Hyang-Mi
HM
Na
Min-Sik
MS
Hwang
Sun-Ho
SH
Im
Jong-Cheol
JC
D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D007814:Larva; D008297:Male; D013183:Sputum; D013321:Strongyloides / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013322:Strongyloidiasis / Q000209:etiology*; D015163:Superinfection / Q000469:parasitology*