Hematemesis in gastric ascariasis
Bhasin, D.K.; Chhina, R.S.
American Journal of Gastroenterology 84(12): 1585-1586
1989
ISSN/ISBN: 0002-9270 PMID: 2596465 Document Number: 328401
A very rare complication (upper gastrointestinal bleeding) in a patient with gastric ascariasis is reported. The 25-year-old patient was admitted to the emergency room of the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India, with severe epigastric pain and 2 bouts of mild haematemesis. The patient had 2 bouts of vomiting, each containing approximately 100 ml of blood. An emergency upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed a rapidly moving worm of Ascaris lumbricoides in the duodenum and another in the fundus of the stomach. Multiple erosions of various shapes and sizes were seen in both the fundus and body of the stomach. It is presumed that these erosions occurred as a result of mechanical trauma caused by the A. lumbricoides. The patient was treated with ranitidine hydrochloride and mebendazole.