Verminous Endarteritis

Verminous endarteritis

• Caused by larvae of S. vulgaris within the cranial mesenteric artery
• Also called "verminous aneurism" (misnomer as aneurism = dilatation/thinning of blood vessel wall; also, aneurisms are rare)
• Wall of artery grossly thickened (organising thrombi, inflammatory responses)
• Can be detected on rectal palpation
• Many cases asymptomatic
• May get embolism → infarction of areas of intestinal wall → colic or chronic ulceration (note: generally good collateral circulation; therefore colic is not inevitable)
• Aberrant larvae may cause thrombosis in other arteries; e.g. iliac, cerebral, coronary
• Avermectin/milbemycins or fenbendazole are used to control migrating S. vulgaris larvae