title: Changes in sonographic findings after treatment of patients with clonorchiasis in a heavy endemic area.
abstract: We measured changes in sonographic findings of patients with clonorchiasis after a treatment in a highly endemic area. A total of 347 residents showed positive stool results for Clonorchis sinensis eggs in a village in northeastern China, and were treated with praziquantel. Of them, 132 patients underwent abdominal sonography both before and 1 year after treatment, and the changes in sonographic findings of 83 cured subjects were compared. Diffuse dilatation of intrahepatic bile ducts (DDIHD) was found in 82 patients (98.2%) before and 80 (96.4%) after treatment, which was improved in 3, aggravated in 1, and unchanged in 79 patients. Increased periductal echogenicity (IPDE) was observed in 42 patients (50.6%) before and 45 (54.2%) after treatment, which was improved in 5, aggravated in 8, and unchanged in 70 patients. Floating echogenic foci in the gallbladder (FEFGB) was detected in 32 patients (38.6%) before and 17 (20.5%) after treatment, which was improved in 20, aggravated in 5, and unchanged in 58 patients. Improvement of FEFGB only was statistically significantly (P = 0.004). The present results confirm that DDIHD and IPDE persist but FEFGB decreases significantly at 1 year after treatment. In a heavy endemic area, the sonographic finding of FEFGB may suggest active clonorchiasis 1 year after treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Dongil
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Yong Hwan
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Jeon
authors.forename: Geun-Chan
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Min-Ho
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Sung-Tae
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Hong
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001653:Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000469:parasitology; D002648:Child; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003003:Clonorchiasis / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D019353:Endemic Diseases; D005260:Female; D005704:Gallbladder / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000469:parasitology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011223:Praziquantel / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014463:Ultrasonography; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D011223:Praziquantel