Ancylostomiasis differential diagnosis

Differentiating Ancylostomiasis from other Diseases

As ancylostomiasis manifests in a variety of clinical forms, differentiation must be established in accordance with the particular sign and symptoms. In infants, gastrointestinal bleeding due to hookworm disease must be differentiated from other diseases that cause bloody stools, melena, pallor, anorexia, listlessness, and edema such as portal hypertension, Meckel’s diverticulum, or AV malformation. In adult, gastrointestinal bleeding must be differentiated from other diseases such as Meckel’s diverticulum and Dieulafoy’s lesions, inflammatory bowel disease and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug-induced small bowel disease. In older patients (>50 years old) are prone to gastrointestinal bleeding from angiectasias, adenocarcinoma, leiomyoma, and lymphoma.