Pancreatitis associated with Strongyloides stercoralis infection in a patient chronically treated with corticosteroids.
Strongyloides stercoralis is a nematode that is a ubiquitous parasite in man. Life-threatening infections can occur in immunocompromised patients. We report a case of a 64-year-old Puerto Rican gentleman treated chronically with corticosteroids for reactive airway disease, who presented to our institution with pancreatitis complicated by sepsis and acute lung injury requiring mechanical ventilation. The initial working diagnosis was gallstone pancreatitis; however, several days into his hospital course, he was found to have a history of strongyloidiasis. Subsequent examination of his stool revealed the parasite, and the patient was treated with ivermectin. This case highlights the occasional association between pancreatitis and strongyloidiasis and the importance of proper treatment and consideration of infection in patients from endemic regions, which include Central America, Africa, and Asia.
Jones
Nathan
N
University of Massachusetts Medical School, UMass Memorial Medical Center, Worcester, MA 01655, USA.
Cocchiarella
Andrew
A
Faris
Khaldoun
K
Heard
Stephen O
SO
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D000818:Animals; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D055370:Lung Injury / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000150:complications*; D011647:Puerto Rico / Q000208:ethnology; D018805:Sepsis / Q000150:complications*; D017171:Strongyloides stercoralis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013322:Strongyloidiasis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D014481:United States
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones