In humans, infestation with Strongyloides stercoralis most commonly involves the upper small intestine. We describe a 65-yr-old woman who presented with abdominal pain, weight loss, and hypoalbuminemia, and was found at colonoscopy to have patchy erythema with aphthoid ulcers scattered throughout the large intestine proximal to the splenic flexure. Biopsy of involved areas and examination of the colonic effluent revealed S. stercoralis larvae. Previous reports of colonic involvement with this nematode, and the differential diagnosis of aphthoid ulcers, a newly described lesion associated with S. stercoralis infestation, are discussed.

Although opportunistic infections of the esophagus occur commonly in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), inflammation is generally limited to the mucosal surface. During a 7-month interval, six men at risk for AIDS underwent barium esophagography because of persistent symptoms of esophageal disease. In each case, transmural inflammation of the esophagus was found (esophagomediastinal communication in three cases and esophagobronchial fistulas in three cases). Two patients had an esophagoesophageal fistula, an inflammatory lesion that has not, to the authors' knowledge, been previously described with mycobacterial infection. Mycobacterial infection was documented by means of culture findings in all six patients (Mycobacterium tuberculosis in five, M avium in one). In three cases mycobacteria were either seen in or cultured from esophageal biopsy specimens. The finding of deep esophageal ulceration, intramural dissection, or fistula formation in a patient with AIDS should suggest the diagnosis of esophageal tuberculosis.

Identification of a psoas abscess is often a diagnostic challenge. In this case report the diagnosis and subsequent treatment of a psoas abscess previously suggested by computed tomography was greatly enhanced by magnetic resonance imaging.