Strongyloides Stercoralis Infection Presenting With Severe Malabsorption And Arthritis In An Immune Competent Host

We describe a 69-year-old woman without evidence of immunosuppression who developed a severe malabsorption syndrome associated with Strongyloides stercoralis infection. She went on to develop a severe arthritis of the ankle even after successful eradication of the parasite. Resection of the ankle mass revealed a cartilaginous loose body with degenerative calcification, ossification and cystic degeneration. This case is unusual because of the severity of clinical symptoms, the extent of histological damage to the duodenal mucosa and the development of arthritis after eradication of the parasite. Strongyloidiasis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of severe malabsorption and acute arthritis.