Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine, Vol 20, Issue 3 275-277, Copyright © 2001 by American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine
Ultrasonographic appearance of colon taeniasis
D. Fabijanic, L. Giunio, N. Ivani, A. Fabijanic, D. Miric and D. Kardum
Department of Internal Medicine, General Hospital Knin, Croatia.
We present the case of a 50-year-old woman with abdominal pain, nausea,
loss of appetite, and frequent stools in whom the routine ultrasonographic
examination demonstrated a double-reflective, ribbon-like structure in the
lumen of the initial segment of the ascending colon, which suggested colon
taeniasis. Because the initial parasitologic analysis yielded negative
results and application of albendazol did not have any therapeutic effect,
the diagnosis was confirmed by barium enema and subsequently by
parasitologic examination of proglottids passed in the stool after
application of niclosamide. The double-reflective, ribbon-like structure in
the lumen of the intestine seems to be specific to the ultrasonographic
appearance of intestinal taeniasis. Transcutaneous ultrasonography of the
gastrointestinal tract, performed as a screening method before conventional
radiologic or endoscopic examination, can point to the ultimate diagnosis
of colon taeniasis.
