Abstract
Anisakiasis, one of the most prevalent parasitic diseases among the Japanese population, occurs in 2,000 to 3,000 people annually. Acute gastric anisakiasis accounts for 98% of cases, while intestinal anisakiasis, representing only about 2 % of cases, is a markedly rare disease. Conservative therapy by symptomatic treatment is generally carried out. Compared with the symptoms, abdominal physical examinations reveal mild findings and it is relatively rare for surgery to be required. Patients with intestinal anisakiasis often develop abdominal pain, ileus, and ascites, and open abdominal surgery is carried out for acute abdomen. Diagnosis is often reached by detecting part of the parasite body in the resected small intestine11). Differential diagnosis of acute abdomen due to other disease is difficult and it is important to make a comprehensive judgment by thorough history taking, careful abdominal physical examinations, and intensive use of test modalities before making a definite diagnosis preoperatively. We here report a case in whom open abdominal surgery was carried out based on the finding of peritoneal irritation symptoms and small intestinal anisakiasis was diagnosed.
