Case of acute ileus caused by a spirurina larva.

A growing body of clinical cases suggests that a kind of nematode larva, type X larva of the suborder Spirurina that inhabits firefly squids (Watasenia scintillans, or 'Hotaru-ika' in Japanese), can cause acute ileus in humans. However, the larva itself has rarely been found in the wall of the obstructed intestine. We describe here a case of acute ileus, in which a type X spirurina larva was found histologically.