Learning objectives
To recognize which are the main parasitic diseases that present involvement of the thorax.
To identify the imaginological manifestations in thorax of parasitic infections.
Background
Parasite: That feeds on substances produced by a living being of different species,
living inside or on its surface,
which usually cause some damage or disease.
It is estimated that there are 2,800 million people infected by geohelminths.
According to WHO there are 200 million individuals infected with schistosomes: 120 million with lymphatic filariasis and 37 million with onchocerciasis O.volvulus (river blindness).
20 to 30% of the world population is infected with Toxoplasma gondii.
Each year between 300 and 500 million new cases of malaria...
Findings and procedure details
Entamoeba histolytica
Entamoeba histolytica is responsible for amebiasis.
It is believed that 1% of the world's population is infected -> and up to 100,000 related deaths are reported annually
Infection is more frequent among the lower socio-economic classes in tropical and subtropical climates:
Immigrants from endemic areas
Institutionalized populations (for example,
those with mental retardation)
Overcrowding
homosexual promiscuous men
The majority of severe cases have been identified among newborns,
during pregnancy and postpartum,
the use of corticosteroids,
malignancy and malnutrition.
Thoracic disease is the second...
Conclusion
Parasitic infections are distributed worldwide and affect hundreds of millions of individuals,
causing significant morbidity and mortality.
A broad spectrum of parasitic infections can manifest with abnormal imaging findings in the thorax.
Although most of these infections result in nonspecific abnormalities,
familiarity with their imaging features as well as their epidemiologic,
clinical,
and physiopathologic characteristics may permit the formulation of an adequate differential diagnosis.
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