Helminthic diseases in the abdomen: an epidemiologic and radiologic overview.
Helminthic diseases have a worldwide distribution. They affect billions of people in endemic areas and can result in serious clinical complications. Some parasites have a human gastrointestinal life cycle with resultant abdominal manifestations. However, the symptoms of helminthic diseases are usually nonspecific. Radiologic imaging, along with the identification of risk factors, may help narrow the differential diagnosis. To avoid diagnostic delays, radiologists should be familiar with the geographic distribution, transmission cycle, and characteristic and atypical manifestations of common helminthic diseases at abdominal imaging with radiography, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and ultrasonography. Awareness of the clinical, epidemiologic, and pathogenic characteristics of these diseases also may be helpful for narrowing the diagnosis when imaging features are nonspecific.
Ortega
Cinthia D
CD
Departamento de Radiologia da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Dr Eneas de Carvalho Aguiar 255, São Paulo, Brazil.
Ogawa
Nilson Y
NY
Rocha
Manoel S
MS
Blasbalg
Roberto
R
Caiado
Angela H Motoyama
AH
Warmbrand
Gisele
G
Cerri
Giovanni Guido
GG
D000005:Abdomen; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006373:Helminthiasis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D038622:Internationality; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male