Title
Case report: Strongyloides stercoralis hyperinfection syndrome presenting as severe, recurrent gastrointestinal bleeding, leading to a diagnosis of cushing disease
Date Issued
01 October 2015
Access level
open access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
Publisher(s)
American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Abstract
A 50-year-old male immigrant from Ethiopia presented for consultation after 3 years of hematochezia/melena requiring > 25 units of blood transfusions. Physical examination revealed severe proximal muscle wasting and weakness, central obesity, proptosis, and abdominal striae, accompanied by eosinophilia, elevated hemoglobin A1c, elevated 24-hour urinary cortisol, lack of suppression of 8 AM cortisol levels by 1 mg dexamethasone, and inappropriately elevated random adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) level. Histopathological examination of gastrointestinal biopsies showed large numbers of Strongyloides stercoralis, indicating Strongyloides hyperinfection. Treatment with 2 days of ivermectin led to resolution of gastrointestinal bleeding. This syndrome was due to chronic immunosuppression from a pituitary ACTH (corticotroph) microadenoma, of which resection led to gradual normalization of urine cortisol, improved glycemic control, resolution of eosinophilia, and no recurrence of infection.
Start page
822
End page
827
Volume
93
Issue
4
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Gastroenterología, Hepatología
Medicina tropical
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-84943548487
PubMed ID
Source
American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
ISSN of the container
00029637
Sources of information:
Directorio de Producción Científica
Scopus