Korean Journal of Radiology  2010;11(4):480-484

doi:10.3348/kjr.2010.11.4.480

Imaging Features of Pediatric Pentastomiasis Infection: a Case Report.

Can LAI 1 2 ; Xi Qun WANG ; Long LIN ; De Chun GAO ; Hong Xi ZHANG ; Yi Ying ZHANG ; Yin Bao ZHOU

Affiliations

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Keywords

Pentastomiasis; Magnetic resonance (MR); Parasitic disease, abdomen; Ultrasonography

Country

Republic of Korea

Language

English

Abstract

We report here a case of pentastomiasis infection in a 3-year-old girl who had high fever, abdominal pain, abdominal tension and anemia. Ultrasound scanning of the abdomen revealed disseminated hyperechoic nodules in the liver and a small amount of ascites. Abdominal MRI showed marked hepatomegaly with disseminated miliary nodules of high signal intensity throughout the hepatic parenchyma on T2-weighted images; retroperitoneal lymphadenopathy and disseminated miliary nodules on the peritoneum were also noted. Chest CT showed scattered small hyperdense nodules on both sides of the lungs. The laparoscopy demonstrated diffuse white nodules on the liver surface and the peritoneum. After the small intestinal wall and peritoneal biopsy, histological examination revealed parenchymal tubercles containing several larvae of pentastomids and a large amount of inflammatory cell infiltration around them. The pathological diagnosis was parasitic granuloma from pentastomiasis infection.