Unusual Presentations of Hepatic Clonorchiasis

Abstract

Hepatic clonorchiasis is caused by the Chinese liver fluke Clonorchis sinensis, which is endemic in the Far East, including Hong Kong, southern China, Taiwan, Japan, and Korea. 1 Ho FCS Wu PC Clonorchiasis. Topics in pathology for Hong Kong. University Press, Hong Kong1995: 28-31 Google Scholar The human is the definitive host for the adult worm. Patients acquire the infestation by eating raw or undercooked infected freshwater fish. 2 Chan HH Lai KH Lo GH Cheng JS Huang JS Hsu PI et al. The clinical and cholangiographic pictures of hepatic clonorchiasis. J Clin Gastroenterol. 2002; 34: 183-186 Crossref PubMed Scopus (20) Google Scholar , 3 Kim YH Pancreatitis in association with Clonorchis sinensis infestation: CT Evaluation. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 1999; 172: 1293-1296 Crossref PubMed Scopus (13) Google Scholar The larvae are released in the duodenum, migrate into the bile duct and mature into adult worms within the intrahepatic ducts. Clonorchis infestation per se often causes no symptoms nor abnormal biochemical tests of liver function. Thus, it can go unrecognized for many years. Major complications of hepatic clonorchiasis are recurrent pyogenic cholangitis and the development of cholangiocarcinoma. 1 Ho FCS Wu PC Clonorchiasis. Topics in pathology for Hong Kong. University Press, Hong Kong1995: 28-31 Google Scholar Two patients with unusual hepatobiliary manifestations of Clonorchis infestation are presented.