Acute pancreatitis due to ascaris in an adult from the urban area of Bogotá, regarding an unusual manifestation. Case report

Abstract

Introduction: Acute pancreatitis is one of the most common entities affecting the gastrointestinal tract. Its most frequent causes are biliary and alcoholic; however, infectious causes, including parasitic ones, should not be ruled out.

Case: We present the case of a 35-year-old man from the urban area of Bogotá who was admitted to the emergency department of the San Ignacio Hospital due to chest pain, with subsequent migration to the abdomen and associated gastrointestinal symptoms. Acute pancreatitis was diagnosed, biliary and alcoholic causes were ruled out, and the scan revealed a gastric endoluminal foreign body towards the intestinal loops; the diagnosis was confirmed endoscopically (Ascaris lumbricoides). The helminth was entirely extracted, and the intrahospital management was continued. As a complication, he had necrosis with associated collections in control images without multi-organ involvement. Finally, he was discharged due to adequate clinical evolution.

Conclusion: Ascariasis is a rare cause of acute pancreatitis in adults in urban areas, even in developing countries such as Colombia. Its diagnosis and therapeutic management are carried out endoscopically with the extraction of the helminth. As in all cases of pancreatitis, a clinical follow-up should be conducted in search of associated complications and multi-organ involvement.