Colonoscopic Diagnosis of Trichuris Trichiura In A Patient With Pulmonary Tuberculosis

Abstract

Trichuris trichiura is a soil-transmitted intestinal helminth infection. Although mild cases are asymptomatic, heavy whipworm burdens lead to colitis with chronic abdominal pain, diarrhea, dysentery, anemia, and rectal prolapse. The diagnosis is usually made based on visualization of parasite eggs on stool microscopy. Detection of T. trichiura during colonoscopic evaluation of non-specific gastrointestinal symptoms is unusual. We report from Pakistan the case of a middle-aged female patient with pulmonary tuberculosis and chronic diarrhea, who underwent colonoscopy and was found to have trichuriasis.

Keywords

• trichuriasis
• whipworm
• colonoscopy
• Pakistan