[Massive trichuriasis in an adult diagnosed by colonoscopy]

A case of massive trichuriasis in a 37-year-old female from a rural locality of the Metropolitan Region of Chile, with antecedents of alcoholism, chronic hepatic damage and portal cavernomatosis, is presented. Since 12 year ago she has had geophagia. In the last six months she has frequently presented liquid diarrhea, colic abdominal pains, tenesmus and sensation of abdominal distention. Clinical and laboratory tests confirmed her hepatic affection associated with a celiac disease with anemia and hypereosinophilia. Within a week diarrhea became worse and dysentery appeared. A colonoscopy revealed an impressive and massive trichuriasis. The patient was successfully treated with two cures of 200 mg tablets of mebendazole twice daily for three days with a week interval. After the first cure she evacuated a big amount of Tricuris trichiura, fecal evacuations became normal, geophagia disappeared and recovered 4 kg of body weight.