WHIPWORM INFECTION FOUND IN THE SIGMOID COLON INSTEAD OF ITS USUAL SITE IN THE CAECUM AND RIGHT COLON WHILE DOING COLONOSCOPY IN OUR STUDY -AN EXTREMELY RARE FINDING.
Govindarajalu Ganesan*
ABSTRACT
Objective: To study the site of whipworm infection in the colon. Methods: A study of 72 patients who had undergone colonoscopy for a period of 5 years from November 2009 to October 2014 was carried out inorder to find out the presence of parasitic worms during colonoscopy in these patients. Results: Out of these 72 patients, parasitic worm was found in the colon in only one patient. The parasitic worm found in this patient was identified as whipworm or trichuris trichiura by its characteristic whip like shape. It has a short posterior thick part resembling the short handle of the whip and a long, thin anterior part resembling the distal long, thin part of the whip. In our patient whipworm was found in the sigmoid colon which is the rare site to find the whipworm. Conclusion: Usually whipworms are most commonly found in the caecum and in the right colon. Only rarely whipworms are found in the left colon. But in our patient whipworm was found in the sigmoid colon which is the rare site to find the whipworm.
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