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Palma et al. Mini-invasive Surg 2018;2:1 Mini-invasive Surgery
DOI: 10.20517/2574-1225.2017.40

Case Report Open Access

Paucisymptomatic gastric anisakiasis: endoscopical
removal of Anisakis sp. larva

Rossella Palma , Simonetta Mattiucci , Cristina Panetta , Marilena Raniolo , Fabio Massimo
1
1
1
2
Magliocca , Stefano Pontone 1
3
1 Department of Surgical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome 00161, Italy.
2 Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Section of Parasitology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome 00161, Italy.
3 Experimental Medicine and Pathology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome 00161, Italy.
Correspondence to: Dr. Stefano Pontone, Department of Surgical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, V.le Regina Elena n.324, Rome
00161, Italy. E-mail: stefano.pontone@uniroma1.it
How to cite this article: Palma R, Mattiucci S, Panetta C, Raniolo M, Magliocca FM, Pontone S. Paucisymptomatic gastric anisakiasis:
endoscopical removal of Anisakis sp. larva. Mini-invasive Surg 2018;2:1. http://dx.doi.org/10.20517/2574-1225.2017.40
Received: 28 Aug 2017 First Decision: 9 Oct 2017 Revised: 14 Dec 2017 Accepted: 19 Dec 2017 Published: 16 Jan 2018

Science Editor: Charles F. Bellows Copy Editor: Jun-Yao Li Production Editor: Huan-Liang Wu

Abstract
Anisakiasis is increasing worldwide, even in Europe and in the Mediterranean region due to the increased practice of
raw fish consumption. Usually, a detailed food history is the key to the diagnosis. A 52-year-old woman affected by
pathological obesity underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) for a 1-year history of epigastric pain. In the gastric
fundus, an Anisakis sp. larva, was casually detected. The nematode was successfully removed with a biopsy forceps. In
this case, the finding of the parasite was casual, being detected during an accurate EGD performed for a 1-year history of
epigastric pain in the patient.

Keywords: Endoscopy, epigastric pain, zoonotic parasite, Anisakis

INTRODUCTION
Anisakiasis is a fish-borne parasitic zoonosis associated with the consumption of raw or insufficiently
cooked infected fish. The human disease is the result of the accidental ingestion of the third stage larva
of the parasite that is infective to fish and squids. Most of the cases of Anisakiasis have been reported in
Japan where there is a great consumption of raw fish, but the number of cases is increasing worldwide,
even in Europe and in the Mediterranean region due to the increased practice of raw fish consumption.
The anisakiasis is considered a rare disease even if the incidence is probably underestimated in many
countries. As is reported in literature, the nematode is often hidden among gastric folds, and can be

© The Author(s) 2018. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
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