title: Liver flukes promote cholelithiasis in sheep.
abstract: The main objective of this study was to investigate whether cholelithiasis in sheep is related to parasitism or other commonly observed disorders such as liver abscesses. Additionally, the features of the observed biliary calculi are described. The livers of 254 randomly selected clinically healthy adult dairy sheep were used. All visible concretions in the bile were considered as stones. Based on the macroscopical examination, 60 livers were normal, 40 were parasitized with Fasciola hepatica, 42 were parasitized with Dicrocoelium dendriticum, 28 were parasitized with both D. dendriticum and F. hepatica, 40 livers had abscesses and 44 had hydatid cysts. Biliary calculi were detected in 40 livers. Twenty livers had pigment stones and 20 livers had cholesterol stones. The percentage of cholelithiasis was significantly higher in livers parasitized with flukes compared with the others (P<0.05) and the parasitoses with F. hepatica and D. dendriticum were proven to be significant risk factors (P<0.05) for the presence of cholelithiasis in sheep.
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Thessaly, Trikalon 224, P.O. Box 199, 43100 Karditsa, Greece. pkatsoul@vet.uth.gr
authors.forename: Panagiotis D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Katsoulos
authors.forename: Georgios
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Christodoulopoulos
authors.forename: Maria A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Karatzia
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pourliotis
authors.forename: Anastasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Minas
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002769:Cholelithiasis / Q000209:etiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004011:Dicrocoeliasis / Q000150:complications / Q000662:veterinary*; D004013:Dicrocoelium; D005211:Fascioliasis / Q000150:complications / Q000662:veterinary*; D008100:Liver Abscess; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000469:parasitology*