Endoscopic management of acute gastric anisakiasis.

Early endoscopy was performed in six cases of acute gastric anisakiasis. Immediately after detecting the larva of anisakis, the larval body was extracted together with its surrounding mucosa by a biopsy forceps. With the removal of the larva, severe colic pain subsided rapidly. Two cases in our series were identified as the stage IV larvae of the anisakis, type I. It was presumed that the stage III larva had exuviated in the human stomach. It is emphasized that endoscopic extraction of larva is the most effective procedure in dealing with acute gastric anisakiasis.