[Opisthorchiasis simulating a malignancy].
We report on 2 patients from Siberia suffering from an infection with the parasite Opisthorchis felineus. The unusual course of their disease pretended in case 1 an eosinophilic leukemia and in case 2 a malignoma of the gallbladder. The Opisthorchiasis is endemic in large areas of Asia and Russia. Humans acquire the infection by eating raw fresh-water fish. Symptoms are nonspecific, but detection of eosinophilia in travellers or residents of endemic areas should induce analysis for specific antibodies against Opisthorchis species. Opisthorchiasis is known to be a precursor of cholangiocarcinoma. Malignoma which was initially suspected could be excluded in both cases and the patients were cured by oral administration of Praziquantel, 40-75 mg/kg body weight for 1 day in 3 divided doses.
Berger
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Allgemeines Krankenhaus St. Georg, Institut für Pathologie, Hamburg. DresSchulz.Berger@t-online.de
Vierbuchen
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D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001660:Biliary Tract Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000469:parasitology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005706:Gallbladder Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000469:parasitology; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D006801:Humans; D017681:Hypereosinophilic Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D009889:Opisthorchiasis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000469:parasitology; D009891:Opisthorchis / Q000648:ultrastructure