Ten adult worms of Pharynogostomum cordatum were recovered from a cat instesine purchased in August 1980 at the Namdaemun Market, Seoul, Korea. It is the first case report of cat pharyngostomiasis in Korea.
parasitology-helminth-trematoda ; case report ; cat ; Pharyngostomum cordatum

To study the basic pathological changes of small intestine in metagonimiasis, light- and electron microscopic studies were made, using a total of 21 cats which were experimentally infected with metacercariae of Metagonimus yokogawai. The metacercariae were obtained from naturally infected sweetfish (Plecoglossus altivelis) by digestion technique. The cats were divided in control, light-infection(10,000 metacercariae infected) and heavy-infection(50,000 metacercariae infected) groups. Cats were killed at the 5th, 10th, 15th day, and 4th, 8th and 10th week after the infection. And the small intestine was prepared for the study. Pathological studies comprised gross examination, worm distribution pattern, light microscopic examination and both transmission and scanning electron microscopic examinations. The results obtained were summarized as follows. Gross morphologic changes were the most marked during the first 2 weeks after infection. The gross abnormalities were severer in the heavily infected animals. The changes were dryness and listlessness of serosal surface due to dehydration, mushy and/or watery intestinal content, effacement of transverse nodes and enlargement of mesenteric lymph folds and Peyer's patches. After 4 weeks of infection, these changes became less marked showing a tendency to return to normal. The sectioned flukes were distributed from duodenum to proximal ileum. However, individual variation was marked in distribution. In the heavy-infection group, the locality of parasitism tended to extend more distally. The locality of M. yokogawai in the intervillous space was mostly in the lower-most portion of intervillous space, where they compressed and eroded epithelial cells probably due to mechanical damage to the structure. Very rarely the worms were found in lumen of Lierberkuehn's crypt, and reaching, in two occasions, into proprial lymphoid tissue. Light-microscopically the lesion was restricted in mucosa: Early mucosal changes were shortening, blunting, fusion, and thickening of the villi, crypt hypertrophy with consequent decrease of villus/crypt ratio, as well as stromal changes of edema, capilliary ectasia and marked inflammatory cell infiltration of lymphocytes and plasma cells. Goblet cells were markedly reduced in number as with depletion of its cytoplasmic content. In the later stages of infection, mucosa restored its normal configuration in spite of persistent parasitism of the worms. At the infection stage of 5-15 days, there was significant shortening of the microvillous height with varible destruction of glycocalyx in electron microscopic examination. With lapse of infection time, microvilli became to restore the normal pattern. With these morphological changes, it appears that diarrhea in experimental metagonimiasis would be related to the decrease of absorptive surface of the small intestine particularly in the early phase of infection. The significant changes seen in villi and microvilli might be due to massive intrusion or invasion of Metagonimus worms into the crypts, causing direct mechanical and possible host-immune response to the small bowel mucosa.
parasitology-helminth-trematoda ; metagonimiasis ; Metagonimus yokogawai ; pathology ; cat-intestine ; edema ; lymphocytes ; plasma cells ; goblet cell

A study was carried out to evaluate the house rats in southern Korea as reservoir host of intestinal trematodes, in 13 different areas: 7 in inland and 6 in brackish-water zones, during the period from August 1980 to August 1981. A total of 170 house rats was captured; 101 rats from inland and 69 from brackish-water zones. They consisted of 129 Rattus norvegicus, 22 R. rattus rufescens, and 19 unidentified. The infection status of the rats were as follows: Total 29 rats (17.1%) were infected by one or more kinds of intestinal trematodes; 27 from inland and 2 from brackish-water zones by areas. Rats in inland were more heavily infected. The intestinal trematodes collected from rats were identified as Echinostoma hortense, E. cinetorchis, Plagiorchis muris, Fibricola seoulensis, Clonorchis sinensis and Metagonimus yokogawai. As a reservoir host, the rats were very important in Echinostoma hortense and E. cinetorchis infection. Rats infected with these trematodes were found widely in southern Korea, and its infection rates were the highest among the discriminated flukes. In this study, no rats were found to be infected with Heterophyes and Pygidiopsis even in endemic areas. The negligible importance of rats as reservoir host of these heterophyid should be reevaluated in the future.
parasitology-helminth-trematoda ; rat- Rattus norvegicus-Rattus rattus rufescens ; zoonosis ; epidemiology ; Echinostoma hortense ; Echinostoma cinetorchis ; Plagiorchis muris ; Fibricola seoulensis ; Clonorchis sinensis ; intestine ; Metagonimus yokogawai

To evaluate the Kato's cellophane thick smear techcique in detection ability of various helminth ova, authors examined 1,843 nationwidely collected stool specimens by the two methods, formalin-ether technique and cellophane thick smear technique. And the results were analyzed. The positive rates of following helminth ova were superior in cellophane thick smear technique to those of formalin-ether technique: Ascaris lumbricoides(62.3% : 51.1%), Taenia species (1.5% : 0.9%). The difference in A. lumbricoides ova detection is highly significant one. The overall positive rate for helminths ova was also higher in Kato's method (92.3% : 90.0%). The positive fates of following helminth ova were infrior in cellophane thick smear technique to those of formalin-ether technique: Hookworm (5.8% : 14.6%), Trichostrongylus orientalis(3.2% : 17.8%), Clonorchis sinensis(8.3% : 11.0%), Metagonimus yokogawai (0.6% : 1.7%) and Hymenolepis nana(0.05% : 0.3%). The positive rate for the ova of Trichocephalus trichiurus by the two methods was incidentally same, 74.1%. The causes of inferior positive rates in some helminth ova by cellophane thick smear technique were shortly discussed and suggests some opinions in improvement of detection ability.
parasitology-helminth-nematoda ; diagnosis ; Ascaris lumbricoides ; Taenia species ; Hookworm ; Trichostrongylus orientalis ; Clonorchis sinensis ; Metagonimus yokogawai ; Trichocephalus trichiurus

The present clinical trial was conducted to determine the efficacy and tolerance of oxantel(CP-14, 445), one of pyrimidine derivative, in the treatment of Trichocephalus trichiurus infection. One hundred eighty two cases who harboured T. trichiurus were treated with oxantel in a single dose of 10 to 25 mg/kg of body weight. For the evaluation, the negative conversion rate and egg reduction rate were calculated before and 22 days after the treatment. The results obtained were as follows: The prevalence rate of T. trichiurus infection in present study was 64.2% by examining 1,536 fecal specimens collected. The overall negative conversion rate was 66.5%, while the highest rate(93.3%) was obtained in the group treated with 20 mg/kg of oxantel (Group III). The lowest rate(56.6%) was observed in Group I (10 mg/kg). The overall egg reduction rate on present study was 90.3%. The highest rate, 100% of egg reduction was also obtained in Group III (20 mg/kg). From the observation of 1,244 expelled worms, it was known that 45.0% of collected worms were expelled on the first of post-treatment day, and male and female worms were about the same in number(1.03 : 1). Average worm burden per capita was 11.1 in this observation. The medication was readily accepted and tolerated by all the treated cases. On the hemograms, urinalysis and liver function tests, no significant differences were noted before and after the drug administration. Side reactions were so mild and transient that none required specific treatment.
parasitology-helminth-nematoda ; Trichocephalus trichiurus ; oxantel ; chemotherapy-trichuriasis ; drug ; hematology ; liver ; urinalysis ; side reaction

A fracture of the femoral neck in a young adult differs from the same fracture in an older patient in the following respects; 1. A relatively uncommon injury. 2. A significant difference in the severity of trauma. 3. A less satisfactory result. At the point of view, we studied the femoral neck fcartures in 15, 20- to 50-year-old patients. The aims were to analyze why these fractures occur in young adults, and what results can be expected after internal fixation. The results were as follows; 1. Common in men (3:1). 2. 80% (12/15 cases) of the fractures were caused by severe trauma. 3. The 3 cases (20%) were associated with the other fractures. 4. The factors infuencing the clinical results and complications in our study; a. Severity of trauma. b. Degree of displacement. c. Existence of posterior comminution. d. Time interval between accident and operation. 5. The multiple pinning got the more rigid fixation and diminished the rate of fixation failure. 6. All cases were achieved good to acceptable reduction. 7. Satisfactory functional results were achieved in 93.3%. 8. The rate of avascular necrosis was 15.4% (2/13 cases). It is concluded that the most of femoral neck fractures in younger patients occur because of the significant trauma. In our study, the incidence of avascular necrosis was not greater than in order patients. Therefore, to get as good a result as possible it seems important to perform the anatomical tion and rigid internal fixation with or without bone graft.
Femoral Neck Fractures ; Femur Neck ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Necrosis ; Transplants ; Young Adult

Deep vein thrombosis is a frequently lethal complication following musculoskeletal surgery and skeletal trauma. For this study on incidence of deep vein thrombosis, we examined the data on 40 patients with contrast venography. Thrombosis limited to the veins in the calf of the leg was shown in 10 patients by venography. None of these patients had clinical symptoms of deep vein thrombosis or indicating embolism. We therefore concluded that the incidence of deep vein thrombosis of the lower extremity after injury or operation in Korea is not so rare as was considered before.
Embolism ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Leg ; Lower Extremity ; Phlebography ; Thrombosis ; Veins ; Venous Thrombosis

A total of 28 patients of confirmed cerebral parenchymal cysticercosis was followed serologically by ELISA(enzyme linked immunosorbent assay) and clinically over 1 year after praziquantel treatment. The subjects were confined to pure cerebral parenchymal form of neurocysticercosis patients in order to evaluate the effect of praziquantel on specific IgG antibody level. The main clinical features were epilepsy and headache and the brain CT showed multiple low densities, cystic rnass, nodule and calcifications. The patients included in this study were categorized into 3 groups according to the follow-up period, namely, group I (1-2 years), group II (2-3 years) and group III(over 3 years). In serum, the post-treatment(last follow-up) anti-body levels were decreased to 71% in group I, 50% in group II and 52% in group III of pre-treatment levels. Also, in CSF, the post-treatment antibody levels were decreased to 81% in group I, 71% in group II and 33% in group III of pre-treatment levels. Eight patients(2 in group I, 3 in group II, 3 in group III) showed negative conversion of IgG antibody in both serum and CSF during follow-up period. All antibody levels in serum and CSF were expected to decline below negative range around 56-57 months after praziquantel treatment by simple linear regression analysis. However, in CSF, it took about 66-67 months for high pre-treatrnent titer patients above 0.8 to convert into negative range and about 34-35 rnonths for low pre-treatrnent titer ones below 0.8. In conclusion. It might be possible to differentiate serologically the early cured from the chronically ill patients uith slowly calcifying lesion by ELISA in neurocysticercosis, :which would be also helpful to determine the next treatment modality.
Brain ; Chronic Disease ; Cysticercosis* ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay* ; Epilepsy ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Headache ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Linear Models ; Neurocysticercosis ; Praziquantel*

As epidemiological parameters of human paragonimiasis, the positive rates of intradermal test and the sputum/stool examination have long been employed in population surveys. However, both the specificity of the intradermal test and the sensitivity of sputum/stool examination have been gradually declined as the endemicity was lowered; thus the gap between above two parameters widened. In such context, the development of a new epidemiological parameter or tool which makes it possible to accurately discriminate the active paragonimiasis cases was necessary. In the present study, the detection rate of Paragonimus-specific IgG antibody by micro-ELISA was evaluated as an indicator of epidemiologic status of human paragonimiasis in a population. A total of 4,285 students and inhabitants living in Bukpyeong Myeon and Bukil Myeon, Haenam Gun, Jeonlanam Do was surveyed in October 1983 by intradermal test first. Out of them, 244 case (5.7 percent) were found positively reacted to VBS antigen of P. wetermani. Out of 168 positive reactors, 7 cases (4.2 percent) were egg positive either by two times of sputum examination or by one stool examination. That indicated that only 0.16 percent of total surveyed were confirmed as active paragonimiasis by egg detection. When sera collected from 239 positive reactors of intradermal test were tested by micro-ELISA for their specific IgG antibody, 40 cases (16.7 percent) were found to be positive. All of 7 eggs positive cases were again positive for specific IgG antibody. Among remaining 232 intradermal test positive cases, 33 cases were positive for IgG antibody. In contrast to those, none of 42 positive reactors to intradermal test for Clonorchis and of 128 intradermal test negative cases showed positive for Paragonimus- specific IgG antibody. The rate of specific IgG antibody as detected by micro-ELISA appeared to be increased with the wheal size of the intradermal test. When the wheal size was over 13 mm in diameter, about 50 percent of them were positive for specific IgG antibody. Thirty-one specific antibody positive cases were clinically evaluated by laboratory examinations (repeated sputum examination, peripheral eosinophil count and chest roentgenogram) and by history taking. Out of them 24 cases were associated with one or more positive laboratory findings; thus considered as active paragonimiasis cases. Out of 7 lab. finding-free cases 3 revealed past history of typical paragonimiasis symptoms, suggesting that they were in chronic or in convalescent stages. The remaining 4 cases were considered as either mild or ectopic infection cases; the possibility of cross-reaction with other helminthiases could not be ruled out. From the above results, it was inferred that the detection of Paragonimus-specific IgG antibogy by micro-ELISA was very much helpful in detecting the active cases as well as in proper evaluation of the endemicity of human paragonimiasis in a population. The convenience of mass handling of sera in micro-ELISA was considered another superiority as an epidemiologic tool.
parasitology-helminth-trematoda ; Paragonimus westermani ; paragonimiasis ; ELISA ; immunology ; diagnosis ; IgG

The intestinal lesions were studied in dog metagonimiasis by reinfection. The metacercariae of M. yokogawai were collected from naturally infected sweetfish. A total of twenty dogs were divided into three groups; control, primary infection and reinfection groups. The 18 dogs were infected with 10,000 metacercariae; the 5 dogs in primary infection group were killed at the 5 days in 1 week, 4 weeks, 6 weeks after the infection. The remaining 13 dogs were kept for nine weeks, and challenged again with 5,000 metacercaricae. The reinfected dogs were killed at the 1 day, 3 days, 5 days and 1 week, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 6 weeks, 8 weeks respectively. The chronologic changes of the intestinal lesions in both groups, the worm recovery rate, and distribution patten were examined by gross observation, light and scanning electron microscopies. From the results, it was inferred that the so-called spontaneous and/or self cure phenomena were of negligible importance in metagonimiasis in dogs. In the chronologic observations of pathologic process in intestine, it was also suggested that the host immunity tend to recover the intestinal integrity. And early invasion of young worm to the Lieberkuhn's crypt was considered as the primary cause of lesions of vill(Abstract is summarized again.)
parasitology-helminth-trematoda ; Metagonimus yokogawai ; metagonimiasis ; dog ; histology ; pathology ; electron microscopy ; intestine