title: Toxocariasis as a cause of new pulmonary infiltrates.
abstract: METHODS
  Patients with new pulmonary infiltrates on chest computed tomography (CT) scans at a tertiary centre in South Korea.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To demonstrate associations among radiological changes, blood eosinophilia (E) and Toxocara (T) seropositivity.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively  reviewed blood eosinophilia, Toxocara seropositivity, history of raw meat intake and radiological features, and divided study patients into four groups according to blood eosinophilia and Toxocara seropositivity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 150 patients, 62 were E- and T-positive (E+T+),  45 were E-negative and T-positive (E-T+), 7 were E-positive and T-negative (E+T-), and 36 were E- and T-negative (E-T-). History of raw meat intake was found in 95 (63%) patients. The type and number of lesions on CT did not show any significant differences among the  four groups. Among 119 patients who were not diagnosed with a specific disease, transient or migrating lesions were seen in 93% of E+T+, 93% of E-T+, 80% of E+T- and 52% of E-T- patients (P < 0.0001). Furthermore, the frequencies of migrating or new lesions  and improvement were significantly higher in the Toxocara-positive group (88/95, 93%) than in the Toxocara-negative group (14/24, 58%; P = 0.002).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Transient and migratory pulmonary infiltrates on chest CT scans were associated with blood eosinophilia and  Toxocara seropositivity. Clinicians should consider asymptomatic toxocariasis as a cause of unexplained new pulmonary infiltrates in countries with dietary habits of raw meat intake.
authors: Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors: Y R
authors: YR
authors: Kang
authors: S-A
authors: SA
authors: Kim
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Jeon
authors: W-J
authors: WJ
authors: Koh
authors: G Y
authors: GY
authors: Suh
authors: M P
authors: MP
authors: Chung
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Kim
authors: O J
authors: OJ
authors: Kwon
authors: E-S
authors: ES
authors: Kang
authors: S-W
authors: SW
authors: Um
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D058070:Asymptomatic Diseases; D004032:Diet / Q000009:adverse effects; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004802:Eosinophilia / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D005506:Food Contamination; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000469:parasitology*; D008174:Lung Diseases, Parasitic / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000469:parasitology*; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat / Q000469:parasitology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D056910:Republic of Korea; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014119:Toxocara / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014120:Toxocariasis / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000469:parasitology*; D055815:Young Adult