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Determining Soil-transmitted Helminth Infection Status and Physical Fitness of School-aged Children
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Fatal Case of a Child Harboring Enterobius vermicularis

Samia T Al-Shouli1, Mazin Barry2, Khalifa Binkhamis3

  • 1Immunology Unit, Pathology Department, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh 12372, Saudi Arabia.

Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)
|March 29, 2023
PubMed

Insights

A rare fatal case of Enterobius vermicularis (pinworm) infection in a teenager highlights its potential to cause severe abdominal pain and death. Clinicians should consider pinworm infection in undiagnosed acute abdominal pain cases.

Area of Science:

  • Parasitology
  • Gastroenterology
  • Pathology

Background:

  • Enterobius vermicularis, commonly known as pinworms, is the most frequent helminth infection globally, primarily affecting children's gastrointestinal tracts.
  • Pinworm infections are typically asymptomatic or cause mild anal pruritus, with rare instances of ectopic migration.

Observation:

  • A 15-year-old female presented with severe abdominal pain, vomiting, and fever.
  • Despite emergency ileocecectomy for acute abdominal pain, the patient unfortunately died the following day.

Findings:

  • Autopsy revealed Enterobius vermicularis within the ileocecal junction, identified as the cause of death.
  • No other pathological conditions were found to explain the fatality.

Implications:

  • This case underscores the rare but lethal potential of Enterobius vermicularis infections.
  • Clinicians must maintain a high index of suspicion for pinworm infections in patients with unexplained acute abdominal pain, as it can be a fatal condition.

Keywords:
Enterobius vermicularisenterobiasispinwormsundiagnosed abdominal pain

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