Surgical Complications of Massive Infestations with Ascaris lumbricoides

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Abstract
Two cases of massive infestations of Ascaris lumbricoides are presented with their surgical complications. A 9-year old Korean girl had a volvulus with gangrene of the small intestine due to the packing of her small bowel with 1,063 round worms. She failed to survive. A 31-year-old pregnant woman had a total of 30 ascaris worms removed from her common and hepatic duct during 2 surgical procedures. She recovered after a long, stormy convalescence and a premature labor. Ascaris infestation causes frequent life-threatening surgical complications in communities where the population uses raw human feces as fertilizer on gardens and crops. In rural areas of South Korea about 90% of stools examined contain Ascaris eggs. Symptoms from Ascaris may often mimic other surgical conditions. Public health efforts are needed to educate the people how to sterilize night soil and practice methods of parasite control.