Ascariasis: a surgical problem in children

ABSTRACT

Complications of ascariasis requiring surgical intervention have been frequently recorded in the literature, intestinal obstruction is the commonest complication, and could be produced by several mechanisms. In the majority of our cases, the obstruction was subacute and responded to conservative treatment. If the response is unsatisfactory, dispersal of the worms without opening the bowel should be tried firstly. But, there should be no hesitation to resect bowel if necessary. Perforation of the bowel is the most serious complication. It can occur in ulcerative lesions of the small intestine especially due to typhoid fever, meckel's and caecal diverticulitis with perforation and escape of ascaris into the pritoneal cavity have also been described [Van Rensburg and Kark, 1958]. It should be serious to perform intestinal resection in the presence of ascaris. For this reason, elective operation on the gastro-intestinal tract should be delayed until eradication of ascaris. We discussed our results in 28 children who presented with complications due to ascariasis