Incidence of Armillifer armillatus (pentastome) calcification in the abdomen
Nzeh, D.A.; Akinlemibola, J.K.; Nzeh, G.C.
Central African Journal of Medicine 42(1): 29-31
1996
ISSN/ISBN: 0008-9176 PMID: 8868383 Document Number: 458948
Analysis of plain abdominal radiographs in 214 patients showed Armillier armillatus calcification in three cases (1,4 pc). Two of these cases were males aged 50 and 70 years respectively. The only female with pentastome calcification was aged 35 years giving a male to female ratio of 2:1. Typically the calcifications were either comma-shaped or rounded with central lucency measuring about 5 mm in diameter. Two (66,7 pc) of the three patients who were positive for parasitic calcification complained of abdominal pain. This however, does not necessarily imply a causal relationship between pentastome infestation and abdominal discomfort.