Two human cases of Heterophyes heterophyes and H. dispar infections were proven by the recovery of their adult worms. The cases were 38-year and 40-year old Korean workers who had been in Saudi Arabia for 4-6 years and returned home in 1983 or 1984 with gastrointestinal troubles. In Saudi Arabia they had eaten raw brackish water fishes such as the mullet. After the treatment with 10 mg/kg praziquantel and purgation with magnesium salt, a total of 19 specimens of H.heterophyes and 140 of H. dispar were collected. It is of interest that the worms persisted in a patient although he had been back in Korea for 14 months. This is the first report on imported heterophyiasis in Korea. Human infection by H. dispar is the first record in the literature.
parasitology-helminth-trematoda ; Heterophyes heterophyes ; Heterophyes dispar ; case report ; praziquantel ; intestine

During 8 april 1983 to 9 April 1985, a total of 181 domestic cats (Felis catus domestica Linnaeus) of unknown localities in Korea were purchased at Seoul Chung-ang market, and the internal organs were dissected for helminth infections. In the results, three kinds of trematodes of family Heterophyidae (Ohdner, 1914) were obtained from small intesine of domestic cats and identified as follows: five adult worms of Heterophyopsis continua (Onji et Nishio, 1916) from three hosts, two hundreds and twenty three adult worms of Pygidiopsis summa Onji et Nishio, 1916 from seven hosts and twenty six adult worms of Heterophyes heterophyes nocens (Onji et Nishio, 1916) from three hosts. Among them, Heterophyopsis continua and Pygidiopsis summa had not been proved as natural infectios of cats in Korea.
parasitology-helminth-trematoda ; Heterophyidae ; Heterophyopsis continua ; Pygidiopsis summa ; Heterophyes heterophyes nocens ; cat ; animal

In order to provide some clues for differential diagnosis of trematode infections in fecal examination, the comparative morphology of eggs of 5 kinds of heterophyid flukes (Metagonimus yokogawai, Heterophyes heterophyes nocens, Heterophyopsis continua, Stellantchasmus falcatus and Pygidiopsis summa) and Clonorchis sinensis was studied. The eggs were obtained from distal portion of uteri of worms which were recovered from men after treatment. The characteristic shape and apperance of each kind of eggs were observed in detail under light microscope, and their length and width measured and compared one another. The results are as follows: Eggs of C. sinensis are elongated ovoidal in shape with attenuated anterior end, 25.3-33.2 (28.3 in average) micrometer long and 14.2-17.4(15.9) micrometer wide with length /width ratio of 1.60-2.00 (1.78). They differ from all heterophyid eggs in that they have prominent wrinkling (muskmelon pattern) at their shell surface. P. summa eggs are ovoid to pyriform in shape and characterized by the smallest size of all kinds examined, 19.8-22.9(21.6) micrometer long and 11.1-13.4 (12.1) micrometer wide and the ratio 1.63-1.99 (1.78). Eggs of S. falcatus are elongated ovoidal and most slender form, 25.3-29.2 (27.2) micrometer long and 11.1-13.4 (12.5) micrometer wide with the ratio of 2.00-2.57 (2.17). Eggs of M. yokogawai are ellipsoid to elliptical in shape with round both ends, 26.9-31.6 (28.5) micrometer long and 14.2-18.2 (16.8) micrometer wide with the ratio of 1.48-2.11(1.70). H. continua eggs are oval in shape, sometimes similar to M. yokogawai or H. h. nocens eggs, however, the relative breadth is broadest among all kinds, with maximum width at posterior half portion. They are 23.7-27.7 (25.0) micrometer long, 15.8-18.9 (16.4) micrometer wide with the ratio of 1.33-1.75 (1.53). Eggs of H. h. nocens are ellipsoid to ovoid in shape but sometimes more slender than M. yokogawai and have slightly pointed both ends. They are 23.7-29.2 (25.7) micrometer long, 14.2-15.8 (15.4) micrometer wide, and the ratio 1.50-2.06 (1.67). From the results, it is concluded that eggs of 5 kinds of heterophyids and C. sinensis can be morphologically differentiated one another, however, careful observation and measurement on sufficient number of eggs are needed.
parasitology-helminth-trematoda ; Clonorchis sinensis ; morphology ; egg ; Metagonimus yokogawai ; Heterophyes heterophyes nocens ; Heterophyopsis continua ; Stellantchasmus falcatus ; Pygidiopsis summa

Two human cases of Heterophyes heterophyes nocens infection were proved by identifying adult worms after treatment with bithionol or praziquantel in 1983 in Korea. They are 37 (Case 1) and 24-year old (Case 2) males whose residence or native village is a southern coastal area in Kohung-gun, Chollanam-do. The Case 1 had the gastrointestinal symptoms such as epigastric pain and indigestion, and the Case 2 heart problems such as arrhythmia and ventricular premature beat in EKG and digestive symptoms such as diarrhea and abdominal pain. After the treatments, 35 and 67 specimens of H. heterophyes nocens respectively were collected from the diarrheal stools through stereomicroscopy. The Case 1 was concommitantly infected with Clonorchis sinensis and the case 2 with 3 other kinds of heterophyid flukes and with Diphyllobothrium latum. The cases said to have eaten raw brackish water fish such as mullets (Mugil cephalus), perches (Lateolabrax japonicus) and gobies (Acanthogobius flavimanus) which are the intermediate hosts of H. heterophyes nocens in Korea.
parasitology-helminth-trematoda ; Heterophyes heterophyes nocens ; Clonorchis sinensis ; case report ; bithionol ; praziquantel ; chemotherapy ; Mugil cephalus ; Lateolabrax japonicus ; Acanthogobius flavimanus

The authors would record the fifth case of human fascioliasis in Korea, occurring in a 48 year old Korean man who lived in Munkyong, Kyongsangbuk-do. The diagnosis was based on the morphology and measurements of the eggs which were collected in necrotic debris from the tunnel-like ulcerations of the gallbladder wall which was surgically removed for a gall stone. Although we failed to find out the fluke in the specimen, there found an evidence of once presence of Fasciola in the inflamed wall of the gallbladder in this patient.
parasitology-helminth-trematoda ; Fasciola sp. ; fascioliasis ; Heterophyes dispar ; case report ; praziquantel ; gallbladder