DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSTICS OF THE MIGRATION STAGE OF HELMINTOSES AND RHEUMATOLOGICAL DISEASES ON THE EXAMPLE OF A CLINICAL CASE OF ASCARIDOSE
Summary. Ascariasis is a parasitic disease caused by the invasion of roundworms from the family Ascarididae, specifically the helminth Ascaris lumbricoides, which enters the body through the oral route and can cause various gastrointestinal and systemic complications, including immunological disorders. This article presents a complex clinical case of a 28-year-old patient whose symptoms (fever, weight loss, productive cough with hemoptysis, myalgia, and arthralgia) of helminthiasis (ascariasis) were initially masked as manifestations of rheumatological diseases. The main symptoms, clinical manifestations, stages of their progression, and diagnostic results are described and analyzed to establish a probable diagnosis and determine appropriate treatment. The principles of differential diagnosis are also discussed, considering the migratory stage of helminthic infections, during which parasite larvae passing through the human body can cause symptoms like rheumatic diseases. Special attention is given to the approaches to analyzing the clinical case, including the medical history, laboratory, and instrumental investigations. The main factors complicating the differential diagnosis between rheumatological diseases and helminthic infections are analyzed to increase physicians’ awareness and avoid misdiagnosis.
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