Strongyloides stercoralis associated with a bleeding gastric ulcer

Abstract

Infection with the helminthic parasite, Strongyloides stercoralis, is usually acquired by skin invasion (or occasionally via ingestion of larvae). After transformation to the adult form, the parasite preferentially localises in the small intestine, especially in the duodenal and jejunal part. A remarkable feature of Strongyloides is its property of endogenous reinfection. In the case of an immuno-compromised host a massive infection, called Strongyloides hyperinfection, may occur. Numerous gastrointestinal complications of strongyloides infections, sometimes with a lethal outcome, have been reported. The intestinal manifestations are usually limited to the small bowel, and rarely involve the stomach. We report a patient with complicated strongyloides infection of the stomach.