A case of hepatic Loeffler's syndrome.

Introduction. - During nematode infection transit of the microorganism in t he lung may be associated with transient infiltration lesions accompanied b y marked eosinophilia. In the invasion stage of the disease maturation and sexual differentiation of schistosomules is restricted to portal vessels. L iver ultrasonography may show concomitant abnormalities. Exegesis, - Eosinophilia was diagnosed in a 36-year-old man residing in Cen tral Africa. Clinical examination, chest X-ray and biology were normal. Liv er ultrasonography showed numerous hypoechoic lesions, up to 3 cm in diamet er. Ultrasonography-directed biopsy demonstrated infiltration of both porta l vessels and liver sinusoids, with sometimes microabcesses. No parasite wa s found in either blood, stool, or rectal biopsy Immunoelectrophoresis and hemagglutination showed positive bilharziosis serology: whereas serology fo r other helminthiases was negative. Four months after treatment eosinophili a was still high, liver ultrasonography was normal, and hemagglutination wa s negative. Conclusion, - The transient shistosomules maturation-related liver abnormal ities detected by ultrasonography should be differentiated from the laying phase of the disease. (C) 2000 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS.