Pulmonary computed tomography findings of visceral larva migrans caused by Ascaris suum.
OBJECTIVE
To retrospectively evaluate the computed tomography (CT) findings of pulmonary involvement in patients with visceral larva migrans caused by Ascaris suum.


METHODS
Institutional review board approval was obtained, and informed consent was waived. Chest CT scans obtained between January 1994 and November 2005 in 32 patients infected with A. suum were retrospectively evaluated by 3 chest radiologists. In 4 patients who underwent surgical or transbronchial biopsy, comparisons of the CT images with the actual specimens were performed.


RESULTS
On CT scans, abnormal findings were seen in 28 patients. The most common abnormality consisted of nodules (n = 19) in which the majority had a halo of ground-glass attenuation (n = 17), followed by ground-glass attenuation (n = 18), and interlobular septal thickening (n = 14). These abnormalities were predominantly seen in the peripheral lung (n = 25). Of the 7 patients who underwent follow-up CT scans, nodules (n = 6) and ground-glass attenuation (n = 5) had migrated in 4 patients. Pathologically, these findings corresponded to marked eosinophilic infiltration into the interstitium.


CONCLUSIONS
These CT findings are considered to be suggestive of thoracic involvement in patients with visceral larva migrans caused by A. suum.
Okada
Fumito
F
Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Oita University Faculty of Medicine, Oita, Japan. fumitook@med.oita-u.ac.jp
Ono
Asami
A
Ando
Yumiko
Y
Yotsumoto
Shinji
S
Yotsumoto
Sachie
S
Tanoue
Shuichi
S
Matsumoto
Shunro
S
Wakisaka
Masaki
M
Mori
Hiromu
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D017165:Ascaris suum; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007816:Larva Migrans, Visceral / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008174:Lung Diseases, Parasitic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
D003287:Contrast Media