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Case Reports
. 2025 Apr 10;19(1):171.
doi: 10.1186/s13256-025-05200-7.

Intestinal obstruction due to Ascaris lumbricoides in child: a case report

Supangat Supangat  1   2 , Achmad Ilham Tohari  2   3 , Rihhadatul Aisy  3 , Muhammad Rijal Fahrudin Hidayat  2   3 , Muhammad Yuda Nugraha  2 , Nabil Athoillah  2 , Nurul Ima Suciwiyati  4 , Muhammad Ali Shodikin  4 , Yunita Armiyanti  5
Affiliations
Case Reports

Intestinal obstruction due to Ascaris lumbricoides in child: a case report

Supangat Supangat et al. J Med Case Rep. .

Abstract

Background: Ascariasis in humans is one of the most significant neglected tropical diseases. Usually, the manifestation of ascariasis may vary in each case. In severe cases, ascariasis may lead to intestinal obstruction or perforation of the intestine due to the large number of worms. Here, we report a case of intestinal obstruction due to A. lumbricoides in a 3-year-old boy.

Case presentation: A 3-year-old Maduranese boy was admitted to the pediatric division with constipation and an enlarged abdomen. During a day of in-hospital observation, the patient vomited worms, which were then identified, and he was diagnosed with ascariasis. The abdominal X-ray showed meteorism with suspected intestinal obstruction. The laboratory test showed anemia and leukocytosis. The exploration laparotomy and ileostomy were performed to extract the worms. The patient was given pyrantel pamoate and albendazole as antiparasitic treatment.

Conclusion: Intestinal obstruction is a rare manifestation of ascariasis but still should be considered, especially in an endemic area. Detailed anamnesis and comprehensive therapy, including surgery and parasitic treatment, may be beneficial for the patient. Increasing hygiene and taking antihelminthic drugs every 6 months may reduce the infection and complications.

Keywords: Ascaris lumbricoides; Ascariasis; Children; Intestinal obstruction.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: The ethical clearance was waived due to the retrospective case and literature review report. Consent for publication: Written informed consent was obtained from the patient’s parent for the publication of this case report and any accompanying images. A copy of the written consent is available for review by the Editor-in-Chief of this journal. Competing interests: All authors declare that there is no conflict of interest in this report.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
A. lumbricoides extracted from the patient’s mouth. Orange arrow: A. lumbricoides
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Bilayer open framework X-ray showed meteorism and intestinal obstruction. Orange arrow: “whirlpool image”; green arrow: air-fluid level
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Surgery photo of worms extraction from patient’s intestine
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Worms were extracted from the patient’s intestine
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Ascaris life cycle in human
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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