Diagnostic criteria and case definitions for abdominal angiostrongyliasis: a systematic review from the Brazilian experience.

Although rare, Angiostrongylus costaricensis infection may be a more prevalent etiology of inflammatory bowel disease than ulcerative colitis and Chron's disease in endemic areas in Central and South America. The present study reviewed the occurrence of A. costaricensis in Brazil, its clinical presentation and pathology; and proposed diagnostic criteria and case definitions for abdominal angiostrongyliasis (AA). Southern and southeastern Brazilian regions are the main endemic areas, and AA affects both genders and all age groups. A review of all 23 published reports of 51 Brazilian patients highlighted the following features that were subsequently classified as minor diagnostic criteria: abdominal pain, palpable mass in the right lower abdominal quadrant, history of exposure, ileocecal tumor, and intestinal perforation with wall thickening. Proposed major criteria include right lower quadrant abdominal pain, blood eosinophilia, positive serology (antibody detection), intense eosinophilic infiltration that involves all strata of the intestinal wall, eosinophilic granulomatous reaction, and eosinophilic vasculitis. In addition to the definitions of suspected and possible cases according to increasing strength of evidence of this infection, demonstration of worms/eggs/larvae in tissues or Angiostrongylus DNA in tissues or serum are required for a confirmed diagnosis. The application of the proposed criteria and definitions may improve patient management, epidemiologic surveillance, and identification of new endemic areas.

Abdominal angiostrongyliasis can be diagnosed with a immunochromatographic rapid test with recombinant galactin from Angiostrongylus cantonensis

Angiostrongylus costaricensis is the causative agent of abdominal angiostrongyliasis, a zoonotic infection that may produce severe eosinophilic enterocolitis or hepatitis in humans. Parasites are usually not released in stools and serology has an important role in diagnosis. Since cross-reactivity is demonstrated between A. costaricensis and another metastrongylid worm, A. cantonensis, we tested heterologous recombinant galectin as a probe in an immunochromatographic rapid diagnostic test (ICT-RDT) for detection of anti-A. costaricensis antibodies. Almost all (11/12) positive control sera from A. costaricensis infected patients were positive at ICT RDT. These are preliminary indications that r-galectin ICT-RDT is useful for diagnosing A. costaricensis infection.

Doenças hepatobiliares eosinofílicas: relato de dois casos e revisão de literatura / Eosinophilic hepatobiliary diseases: a report of two cases and literature review

As doenças hepatobiliares eosinofílicas são patologias raras de origem e de fatores etiológicos ainda não esclarecidos, sendo muitas vezes relacionadas à gastroenterite eosinofílica ou síndrome hipereosinofílica. Caracterizam-se por infiltração de eosinófilos em tecidos hepatobiliares e podem estar associadas à eosinofilia periférica na ausência de outras causas de eosinofilia. A raridade e conhecimento incompleto dessas doenças refletem na dificuldade de diagnóstico e de escolha terapêutica. O diagnóstico é feito através da exclusão de outras causas de eosinofilia periférica, tais como parasitoses, reações medicamentosas e doenças malignas, e também por análise histopatológica do tecido infiltrado. A maioria dos casos é responsiva ao tratamento com corticosteroides. Descrevemos dois casos clínicos, um de colecistite eosinofílica e outro de hepatite eosinofílica, avaliando, segundo revisão de literatura, a possibilidade de uma gastroenterite eosinofílica ou de uma síndrome hipereosinofílica em ambos os casos.

The eosinophilic hepatobiliary diseases are rare pathologies of origin and etiologic factors not yet clarified, being many times related to eosinophilic gastroenteritis or hipereosinophilic syndrome. They are characterized by an infiltration of eosinophils in hepatobiliary tissues and can be associated to peripheral eosinophilia, in the absence of other eosinophilia causes. The rareness and incomplete knowledge about these diseases reflect on the difficulty of diagnosis and choice of treatment. The diagnosis is made through exclusion of other causes of peripheral eosinofilia, such as parasitosis, drug reactions and malignant diseases, and also through histopathological analysis of the infiltrated tissue. Most cases respond to treatment with corticosteroids. We reported two cases, one of eosinophilic colecistitis and other of eosinophilic hepatitis, evaluating, according to literature review, the possibility of eosinophilic gastroenteritis or hipereosinophilic syndrome in both cases.

Abdominal angiostrongyliasis with involvement of liver histopathologically confirmed: a case report / Angiostrongiliasis abdominal con lesión hepática histopatológicamente confirmada

Human abdominal angiostrongyliasis is a zoonotic disease caused by ingestion of the L3 larvae of Angiostrongylus costaricensis. The human infection gives rise to a pathological condition characterized by acute abdominal pain, secondary to an inflammatory granulomatous reaction, marked eosinophilia and eosinophilic vasculitis. Most commonly this disease is limited to intestinal location, primary ileocecal, affecting the mesenteric arterial branches and intestinal walls. We present one of the few cases reported around the world with simultaneous involvement of the intestines and liver, including proved presence of nematodes inside the hepatic arteriole.

La enfermedad conocida como angiostrongiliasis abdominal humana es una zoonosis causada por la ingestión del estadio larval L3 de Angiostrongylus costaricensis. En el ser humano, esta infección provoca un estado patológico caracterizado por dolor abdominal agudo, secundario a una reacción inflamatoria granulomatosa; eosinofilia marcada y vasculitis eosinofílica. Comúnmente el cuadro se encuentra limitado a una localización intestinal, predominantemente ileocecal, que compromete las ramas de la arteria mesentérica y la pared intestinal. Presentamos uno de los pocos casos reportados alrededor del mundo con hallazgos simultáneos en intestino e hígado; se incluye la demostración histológica del nemátodo dentro de la arteriola hepática.