Ectopic fascioliasis mimicking a colon tumor

Abstract

Fasciola hepatica, a leaf shaped trematode that is common in cattle, sheep and goats, is acquired by eating raw water plants like watercress or drinking water infected with the encysted form of the parasite. The varied clinical presentations of fascioliasis still make a high index of suspicion mandatory. Besides having a wide spectrum of hepatobiliary symptoms like obstructive jaundice, cholangitis and liver cirrhosis, the parasitic infection also has extrabiliary manifestations. Until recently, extrahepatic fascioliasis has been reported in the subcutaneous tissue, brain, lungs, epididymis, inguinal lymph nodes, stomach and the cecum. In this report, a strange manifestation of the fasciola infection in a site other than the liver, a colonic fascioliasis, is presented.

Keywords: Fasciola hepatica, Ectopic fascioliasis, Colon