Doctors at Fortis Hospital in Shalimar Bagh recently removed 14 live roundworms, measuring 15-20 cm each, from the bile duct of a 38-year-old woman.
The endoscopic procedure was performed by a team of doctors led by Dr. Arvind Khurana, head of the gastroenterology department at Fortis Hospital.
Doctors said that the patient, Sunita, was brought to the hospital after she complained of severe abdominal pain, fever, vomiting and intermittent episodes of jaundice for the last six months.
The patient was advised to undergo an abdominal CT scan which revealed the presence of roundworms in the bile duct, which connects the liver and intestines.
The patient then underwent an endoscopic procedure and the roundworms were removed using snares and forceps.
While it is common to find roundworms in intestines, it is very rare to find them in the bile duct, said doctors.
“Usually roundworms are found in the intestines. Occasionally they can migrate to the bile duct causing pain, fever and jaundice. There have been cases where we have seen two or three roundworms in the bile duct. However, to see 14 worms is extremely rare,” said Dr. Khurana.
He added that the patient had taken a second opinion at other hospitals that had misdiagnosed the condition and prescribed antibiotics for the pain.
“Once properly diagnosed, we managed to remove all the roundworms in a single session. Immediately after the removal of the worms, the patient was pain free,” he said.
High number of cases
India has one of the highest number of cases related to worms as deworming medication is not routinely administered, noted a release issued by the hospital.
The life cycle of a roundworm begins when the eggs from the adult worms, living in the intestine, are expelled through the host’s faeces. This leads to the contamination of the soil. Cases of infestation in humans are mostly reported in rural areas with poor sanitation and where contaminated soil is used as a fertiliser for growing fruits and vegetables.
