Large-bowel obstruction secondary to Enterobius vermicularis pseudotumour

Abstract

Enterobius vermicularis infection is typically observed in paediatric patients and manifests with perianal pruritus, but other manifestations or ectopic presentations have been reported in the literature. We present the case of a man in his 60ss with a large-bowel obstruction with symptoms including a 4-day history of progressive abdominal pain, distension, vomiting and absolute constipation. On examination, his abdomen was distended with tinkling bowel sounds on auscultation. Cross-sectional imaging demonstrated an obstructing mass in the distal descending colon. An emergency laparoscopic Hartmann’s procedure was performed and the patient made an uneventful recovery. An intraoperative colonoscopy demonstrated numerous white threadworms in the colon. Histological analysis demonstrated a pseudotumour related to Enterobius vermicularis infection. This case represents a rare differential diagnosis for a large-bowel obstruction.