Case reports of Strongyloides stercoralis infection in three patients with haematological malignancies.

Abstract

Strongyloidiasis is a parasitic nematode infection mainly caused by Strongyloides stercoralis. Immunocompromised conditions, particularly cancer patients treated with chemotherapy and corticosteroids, have a significant risk of developing Strongyloides hyperinfection. The lack of a gold standard laboratory method to rule out this infection and the insensitivity of microscopic stool examination due to low and intermittent larvae output in stool contribute to the low detection rate of this infection. We present three cases of strongyloidiasis in adults with haematological malignancies and significant eosinophilia in the early course of their cancer. Two patients were diagnosed with a combination of serological and molecular tests, and one was diagnosed serologically. Ivermectin at 200 mcg/kg/day for two days was commenced for all patients; unfortunately, one patient succumbed.