Necrotizing pancreatitis due to Ascaris lumbricoides: Causes, diagnosis, and current treatment

Abstract

Necrosis in acute pancreatitis presents a high mortality rate despite advances in critical care. After biliary and alcoholic etiology, the third most common cause of pancreatitis is idiopathic etiology, with 10% of cases related to parasites, being Ascaris the most common parasite involved in pancreas necrosis and inflammation. Considering the high rates of mortality related to necrotizing pancreatitis, a case of ascariasis is analyzed, including its growing epidemiology, its causes, its clinical and imaging diagnosis, and its antiparasitic treatment based on current evidence.