[Systemic toxocariasis in the adult patient]

We report a retrospective review of eight patients (one male), aged 19 to 31 years old, with systemic toxocariasis (visceral larva migrans), seen at the Salvador Hospital of Santiago. Four cases had heart involvement, three had lung involvement and in two, several organs were affected. Seven cases had leukocytosis (range 14, 5 to 160 x 10(9)/l) and all had eosinophilia (35 to 90%). Serum ELISA titers for Toxocara sp were positive in all cases, ranging from 64 to 1000. Six patients were treated with thiabendazole and one with albendazole. Steroids or hydroxiurea were administered to patients with heart failure or hyperleukocytosis. Subjects with lung involvement recovered quickly but those with cardiac compromise had a partial recovery with frequent decompensations of their cardiac failure and one death. Eosinophilia lasted up to 20 years, in spite of specific treatment. We emphasize the importance of infection prevention, accuracy of diagnosis and the severity of cardiac damage in the adult patient.