Hepatic pinworm infestation misdiagnosed as a liver metastasis in a patient with colonic adenocarcinoma
Dea Natalie Munch Jepsen,
Jens Thomas Fredrik Osterkamp,
Jakob Hagen Vasehus Schou,
Peter Nørgaard Larsen,
Rajendra Singh Garbyal
Affiliations
Dea Natalie Munch Jepsen
Department of Pathology, University Hospital of Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, Inge Lehmanns Vej 14, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark; Corresponding author at: Department of Pathology, University Hospital of Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, Inge Lehmanns Vej 14, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.
Jens Thomas Fredrik Osterkamp
Department of Surgical Gastroenterology and Transplantation, University Hospital of Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, Inge Lehmanns Vej 7, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
Jakob Hagen Vasehus Schou
Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Copenhagen, Herlev Hospital, Borgmester Ib Juuls Vej 7, 2730 Herlev, Denmark
Peter Nørgaard Larsen
Department of Surgical Gastroenterology and Transplantation, University Hospital of Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, Inge Lehmanns Vej 7, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
Rajendra Singh Garbyal
Department of Pathology, University Hospital of Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, Inge Lehmanns Vej 14, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
An extra-intestinal infestation of Enterobius vermicularis (pinworm) is uncommon. We present a case of hepatic infestation of pinworm in a 57-year-old woman, misdiagnosed as a colorectal adenocarcinoma metastasis. The route of migration from the intestine to the liver is not well established but the most plausible route seems to be hematogenous. In concordance with previously published cases, the hepatic pinworm infestation is usually localised superficially in the right liver lobe. Hence solitary lesions in this location detected radiologically should be interpreted carefully. Additionally, the serum CEA level could be useful to distinguish pinworm from malignancy.
