We describe the imaging features of two cases of biliary ascariasis. Ultrasonography and CT showed no specific abnormal findings, but MR cholangiography clearly demonstrated an intraductal linear filling defect that led to the correct diagnosis. MR cholangiography is thus a useful technique for the diagnosis of biliary ascariasis.
Adult ; Animal ; Ascariasis/*diagnosis ; *Ascaris lumbricoides ; *Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic ; Biliary Tract Diseases/*diagnosis/*parasitology ; Common Bile Duct Diseases/*diagnosis/*parasitology ; Female ; Human ; *Magnetic Resonance Imaging

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

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The diagnosis of clonorchiasis is based on demonstrating eggs in stool or bile. It is believed that bile examination is the most precise method for detecting eggs. We evaluated diagnostic usefulness of intradermal test (IDT) by comparing it with the result of bile examination. METHODS: For 88 patients with pancreatobiliary diseases, we examined Clonorchis sinensis eggs in bile and performed IDT for clonorchiasis. The bile was obtained from endoscopic nasobiliary or percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage tubes. RESULTS: We calculated ROC curve to decide the cut-off value of IDT in determining diagnostic accuracy on the basis of bile examination. We chose a value of 40 mm2, which significantly improved the sensitivity, without reducing the specificity. With a cut-off value of 40 mm2, the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of IDT were 81.5%, 67.2%, 52.4%, and 89.1%, respectively. The value of IDT was not affected by age and showed no difference between benign and malignant diseases. However, in egg-positive patients, the mean value was lower in malignant diseases than in benign diseases. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with pancreatobiliary diseases, IDT with a cut-off value of 40 mm2 seems to be a valuable supplementary diagnostic test for clonorchiasis in view of its high sensitivity.
Aged ; Bile/parasitology ; Biliary Tract Diseases/*diagnosis ; Clonorchiasis/*diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; *Intradermal Tests ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pancreatic Diseases/*diagnosis ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Sensitivity and Specificity