Gastric infection by Strongyloides stercoralis: a case report

Strongyloides stercoralis is an intestinal nematode with a complex life cycle that involves colonizing and reproducing in the upper small intestinal mucosa. In a healthy host, the parasite usually does not cause any symptoms. We report a gastric infection case of S. stercoralis. A 72-year-old Turkish man was admitted to the Department of General Surgery with complaints of epigastric pain, nausea and vomiting for five days. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy evidenced a diffuse infiltrate in the stomach, causing decreased distensibility. Microscopically, superficial chronic inflammation with hyperplastic reactive changes and damaged surface was observed. Histopathological examination of the gastric mucosa showed numerous cross-sections of adult worms, eggs and rhabditiform larvae of S. stercoralis developing in the gastric crypts.