Clinical study of ileus like symptom due to eating of raw firefly squid, Watasenia scintillans

Abstract

We report 12 patients who ate raw firefly squid, Watasenia scintillans. The patients experienced abdominal pain one or two days after eating them. Ileus was suspected by abdominal X-ray, but abdominal muscle guarding was not recognized. No specific findings was revealed on laboratory data. Patients were recovered two or three days after admission by only drip infusion. Recently, type X larva of the suborder Spirurina is recognized in 3.3% of firefly squid viscus. Indirect fluorescent antibody test using antigen of the type X larva was evaluated for the sera of the 8 ileus patients who were admitted in 1993. The antibody titers were positive in 5 patients and were negative in 3 patients. These results suggested that the ileus like symptom we reported here was attributed to the type X larva of the suborder Spirurina. © 1995, The Japanese Society of Gastroenterology. All rights reserved.