Inflammatory bowel disease later diagnosed as strongyloides colitis in migrants to Canada: a case series

Abstract

Strongyloides colitis is a gastrointestinal manifestation of the parasitic infection, Strongyloides stercoralis , which may be misdiagnosed and treated as ulcerative colitis (UC) in patients presenting in non-endemic regions. Treatment of Strongyloides colitis as UC can lead to a lethal hyperinfection syndrome. Therefore, prior to commencing immunosuppressive treatment of UC, it is essential to use diagnostic markers to differentiate the two etiologies. In this case series, we discuss two migrant patients who were previously diagnosed with UC and treated accordingly who presented to our clinic for further investigation of suspected parasitic infection.