Strongyloides hyperinfection simulating inflammatory bowel disease

ABSTRACT

Strongyloides stercoralis infection may present with acute gastrointestinal symptoms or persist for many years in the asymptomatic, immunocompetent host. Hyperinfection usually occurs as a result of an alteration in immune status. The authors report three cases of Strongyloides hyperinfection that presented as diarrhea and weight loss and the colonoscopy revealed either ulcerative colitis or pancolitis. One of them had a fatal outcome. The screening for this infection is mandatory for patients in endemic areas with a history of diarrhea, as an early diagnosis and therapy can have marked impact on the outcome of the disease.