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Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.

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Ascariasis differential diagnosis

Introduction

Overview

Overview

Ascariasis can mimic other worm infections, and also gastrointestinal pathologies like peptic ulcer disease, intussusception in children, bile duct stone, etc.[1][2]

Differential Diagnosis

Differential Diagnosis

  • Differential diagnosis of intestinal ascariasis
  1. Peptic ulcer disease[1]
  2. Intestinal obstruction from Ascaris lumbricoides can mimic intussusception[3]
  • Differential diagnosis of biliary ascariasis
  1. Gallbladder cancer[4]
  2. Retained bile duct stone[2]
  • Other worm infections can sometimes have clinical presentations similar to that of Ascaris lumbricoides

The table below summarizes the findings that differentiate from other nematode infections:

Differentiating ascariasis from other Nematode infections[5][6][7]
Infection Nematode Transmission Direct Person-Person Transmission Duration of Infection Pulmonary Manifestation Location of Adult worm(s) Treatment
Ascariasis Ascaris lumbricoides Ingestion of infective ova No 1-2 years Free air in the lumen of the small bowel

(primarily jejunum)

Strongyloidiasis Strongyloides stercoralis Filariform larvae penetrate skin or bowel mucosa Yes
  • Lifetime of the host
 Embedded in the mucosa of the duodenum, jejunum
Trichuriasis Trichuris trichiura

(whipworm)

Ingestion of infective ova No 1-3 years
  • No pulmonary migration, therefore, no pulmonary manifestation
 Anchored in the superficial mucosa of cecum and colon
Hookworm infection Necator americanus and Ancylostoma duodenale Skin penetration by filariform larvae No Attached to the mucosa of mid-upper portion of the small bowel
Enterobiasis Enterobius vermicularis

(pinworm)

Ingestion of infective ova Yes
  • 1-month
  • Extraintestinal migration is very rare
 Free air in the lumen of cecum, appendix, adjacent colon
References

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Hamed AD, Akinola O (1990). “Intestinal ascariasis in the differential diagnosis of peptic ulcer disease”. Trop Geogr Med. 42 (1): 37–40. PMID 2260195.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Goel A, Lakshmi CP, Pottakkat B (2012). “Biliary ascariasis: mimicker of retained bile duct stone”. Dig Endosc. 24 (6): 480. doi:10.1111/j.1443-1661.2012.01338.x. PMID 23078449.
  3. ↑ Katz Y, Varsano D, Siegal B, Bar-Yochai A (1985). “Intestinal obstruction due to Ascaris lumbricoides mimicking intussusception”. Dis Colon Rectum. 28 (4): 267–9. PMID 3979231.
  4. ↑ Kong F, Xi H, Bai Y, Li Z (2015). “Ascaris infestation of biliary tree mimicking gallbladder cancer”. Dig Liver Dis. 47 (2): e3. doi:10.1016/j.dld.2014.09.012. PMID 25308610.
  5. ↑ Durand, Marlene (2015). “Chapter 288:Intestinal Nematodes (Roundworms)”. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett’s Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases Updated Edition, Eighth Edition. Elsevier. pp. 3199–3207. ISBN 978-1-4557-4801-3.
  6. ↑ Kim, Kami; Weiss, Louis; Tanowitz, Herbert (2016). “Chapter 39:Parasitic Infections”. Murray and Nadel’s Textbook of Respiratory Medicine Sixth Edition. Elsevier. pp. 682–698. ISBN 978-1-4557-3383-5.
  7. ↑ Serpytis M, Seinin D (2012). “Fatal case of ectopic enterobiasis: Enterobius vermicularis in the kidneys”. Scand J Urol Nephrol. 46 (1): 70–2. doi:10.3109/00365599.2011.609834. PMID 21879805.


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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Fatimo Biobaku M.B.B.S [2] Furqan M M. M.B.B.S[3]