BACKGROUND:

Trichuris trichiura is a parasite when massive infestation in humans occurs may be complicated by severe anemia.

OBJECTIVE:

To report the case of a child with chronic infestation of Trichuris trichiura that produced severe anemia and heart failure.

CASE DESCRIPTION:

School girl living in rural areas, with poor nutrition, geophagia and outdoor defecation. She began prior to joining with syncope, fatigue and weakness, progressive dyspnea to leave school and one week prior month bloody diarrhea was added. Physical examination: mucocutaneous pallor, blow holosystolic grade V/VI, hepatomegaly, hippocratic fingers, malnutrition Grade II, hemoglobin 2.4g/dl, electrocardiogram with normal result, chest radiography with cardiomegaly, cardiothoracic ratio 0.57. Coproparasitoscopic positive to Trichuris trichiura eggs. She was treated with concentrated erythrocyte transfusion, mebendazole, nitazoxanide and nutritional management. The evolution was satisfactory with weight gain, and hemodynamic improvement coproparasitoscopic negative control.

DISCUSSION:

The diagnosis of severe anemia and heart failure involves investigating the cause, in this case against the background that the patient lives in rural areas and twice rectal prolapse and one of bloody diarrhea was requested coproparasitoscopic Trichuris trichiura positive result.