A case of acute intestinal anisakiasis has been reported; a nematode larva being found in the submucosa of the ileum of a woman in Jaén (Spain). The source of infection was the ingestion of raw
MATERIALS AND METHODSWe have studied a new case of acute intestinal anisakiasis in Spain. On 28 November 1998, a 46-year-old Spanish woman, lifelong resident of Jaén, was admitted to the emergency room at the Hospital Ciudad de Jaén, where her clinical, radiological and analytical report was compatible with acute appendicitis. She had had during two days acute abdominal pain, diarrhea, meteorism, selective pain palpatation in the right ileum fossa, no nausea, vomit or fever and Blumberg sign negative. The laboratory data showed leukocytosis (13.780/mm 3 ), neutrophilia (80%) and 4% of eosinophils. The rest of the red series, white and biochemical, were normal. Plain radiographs of the abdomen and an electrocardiogram were within normal limits. The clinical diagnosis was acute appendicitis. After a McBurney incision, the appendix was found to be normal, with abundant intraperitoneal exudate and inflammatory induration located in the terminal ileum, which showed a microperforation. A prophylactic appendectomy was performed, followed by a wedge resection of the indurated intestinal zone. The layers of the abdominal wall were cleaned and closed. The indurated zone was opened and, in the submucosa of the terminal ileum, a nematode of 2.5 cm in length was found. The neighbouring tissues were analyzed, and the caecal appendix was found with submucosal sclerolipmatosis, and the inflamed ileum was infiltrated with abundant eosinophils.The removed larva, still moving, were placed in saline solution and fixed in 2.5% (v/v) buffered glutaraldehyde (pH 7.2), and examined first under an optical microscope and later processed and examinded under a scanning electron microscope.+ Corresponding