A 77-year old man living in Kyunggi-Do, Korea was surgically treated at Seoul National University Hospital on April 1981, because of acute abdomen. At laparotomy, a 1.77m long adult Taenia saginata was found both in gallbladder and in common bile duct to cause acute gangrenous cholecystitis. The relevant literature were reviewed and possible mechanisms of the disease were discussed.
parasitology-helminth-cestoda ; Taenia saginata-taeniasis ; case report ; gallbladder ; common bile duct ; acute abdomen ; laparatomy

In May 1974, authors encountered a 37 year old Korean male who was suffering from very serious condition of acute abdomen. On exploratory laparotomy, a ruptured granulomatous mass in the proximal portion of the ileum showing extensive inflammatory and gangrenous changes was found and about 4 ft. long of the bowel was resected. From the honey-combed fibrous capsules in the mass, four plerocercoid larvae, spargana, measuring about 3 to 7 cm in lengths were extirpated. The patient had a past history of having eaten the raw flesh of a snake as a tonic about 7 months prior to admission. Four cases of intra-abdominal sparganosis reported previously in Korea and the present case were discussed briefly. Snakes and frogs in Korea are very important second intermediate hosts for the 1arva, Sparganum stage. It is most preferable that the habitual ingestion of the raw fleshes of them should be avoided in this country.
parasitology-helminth-nematoda ; Spirometra sp. ; sparganum ; sparganosis ; laparatomy ; intestine ; perforation ; case report