Korean J Parasitol.  2011 Dec;49(4):409-412. 10.3347/kjp.2011.49.4.409.

A Case of Pulmonary Paragonimiasis with Involvement of the Abdominal Muscle in a 9-Year-Old Girl

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Anyang 431-070, Korea. imipenem@hanmail.net
  • 2Department of Radiology, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Anyang 431-070, Korea.
  • 3Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Osong 363-951, Korea.

Abstract

In Korea, many people enjoy eating raw or underkooked freshwater crayfish and crabs which unfortunately may cause paragonimiasis. Here, we describe a case of pulmonary and abdominal paragonimiasis in a 9-year-old girl, who presented with a 1-month history of abdominal pain, especially in the right flank and the right inguinal area, with anorexia. A chest radiograph revealed pleural effusion in both lungs, and her abdominal sonography indicated an inflammatory lesion in the right psoas muscle. Peripheral blood analysis of the patient showed hypereosinophilia (66.0%) and an elevated total serum IgE level (>2,500 IU/ml). The pleural effusion tested by ELISA were also positive for antibodies against paragonimiasis. Her dietary history stated that she had ingested raw freshwater crab, 4 months previously. The diagnosis was pulmonary paragonimiasis accompanied by abdominal muscle involvement. She was improved after 5 cycles of praziquantel treatment and 2 times of pleural effusion drainage. In conclusion, herein, we report a case of pulmonary and abdominal paragonimiasis in a girl who presented with abdominal pain and tenderness in the inguinal area.

Keyword

Paragonimiasis; crab; abdominal pain; pleural effusion; abdominal muscle

MeSH Terms

Abdominal Muscles/*parasitology/pathology/ultrasonography
Animals
Anthelmintics/therapeutic use
Brachyura/*parasitology
Child
Drainage
Female
Humans
Lung/parasitology/pathology
Lung Diseases, Parasitic/*diagnosis/drug therapy/radiography
Paragonimiasis/*diagnosis/drug therapy/radiography
Paragonimus/isolation & purification
Pleural Effusion/parasitology/therapy
Praziquantel/therapeutic use
Republic of Korea
Shellfish/*parasitology
Treatment Outcome
Anthelmintics
Praziquantel
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