Yonsei Med J.  2005 Dec;46(6):794-798.

A Bile Based Study of Clonorchis sinensis Infections in Patients with Biliary Tract Diseases in Ulsan, Korea

• Joo KR
• Bang SJ

Abstract

Stool examination is believed to be the most reliable method for detecting Clonorchis sinensis (CS) eggs. However, it has limited value for diagnosing clonorchiasis when the biliary tract is obstructed or when there is a light infection. We evaluated the infection states of CS in patients with biliary tract diseases using a bile sample. From January 2001 to August 2003, 238 patients who had undergone endoscopic biliary drainage were prospectively included in the study. The patients' bile samples were obtained directly from the nasobiliary drainage tube and then analyzed to detect CS eggs. The overall CS egg positive rate was 28.2% (35.4% in males, 19.4% in females). The egg positive rate was similar in all age groups examined: 26.7% in 30-39 years, 25.0% in 40-49 years, 24.4% in 50-59 years, 30.2% in 60-69 years, 35.3% in 70-79 years, and 25.0% in 80 years of age and over. There were no significant differences in the egg positive rate between the disease groups: 32.6% in bile duct cancer, 38.5% in gallbladder cancer, and 26.4% in gallstone diseases. Our results show that the CS infection rate was very high, regardless of the age, gender, and type of diseases of the patients. Although the study population was limited to patients with biliary tract diseases, it is assumed that clonorchiasis is still an endemic disease in Ulsan, Korea.

Keyword

Clonorchis sinensis; prevalence; biliary tract disease; bile; Ulsan

MeSH Terms

Korea/epidemiology
Humans
Clonorchis sinensis/embryology/*isolation & purification
Clonorchiasis/complications/*diagnosis
Biliary Tract Diseases/*complications
Bile/*parasitology
Animals

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Eggs of the liver fluke Clonorchis sinensis in the bile specimen. The prominent operculum that produces the "shoulders" characteristic of eggs of this species is evident (Papanicolaou's stain, ×1000).

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