[Gastrointestinal anisakiasis. Seven cases in three months]

Human anisakiasis or anisakidosis is an unusual parasitation. During the autumn of 1996 seven patients came to our Hospital for such a condition. Five of these patients had the parasites in the gastroduodenal area (1 in the gastric body, 3 in the antrum and 1 in the duodenal bulb, this one with two parasites). Four out of the five patients consulted us for intense epigastric pain; only one developed a cutaneous rash. The fifth patient was diagnosed unexpectedly during an endoscopy appointment. Eosinophilia was detected in none. All the parasites were extracted endoscopically and identified as belonging to the Anisakis genera. Excepting for the patient with no complaint, the other four showed adhered larvas to mucosa. The two other patients were operated because of acute abdominal pain. At laparotomy an ileitis was seen and then resected. Under microscopic examination both ileon were found to be edematous and infiltrated by eosinophils. Anisakis larvae were observed in the submucosa of one of the removed intestines. The other patient was diagnosed after an immunologic study consisting of radioimmunoassay and Western Blot. Five of the seven patients (71%) acquired the parasites after consumption of anchovies with vinegar.