title: Liver flukes: the malady neglected.
abstract: Liver fluke disease is a chronic parasitic inflammatory disease of the bile ducts. Infection occurs through ingestion of fluke-infested, fresh-water raw fish. The most well-known species that cause human infection are Clonorchis sinensis, Opisthorchis viverrini and Opisthorchis felineus. Adult flukes settle in the small intrahepatic bile ducts and then they live there for 20-30 years. The long-lived flukes cause long-lasting chronic inflammation of the bile ducts and this produces epithelial hyperplasia, periductal fibrosis and bile duct dilatation. The vast majority of patients are asymptomatic, but the patients with heavy infection suffer from lassitude and nonspecific abdominal complaints. The complications are stone formation, recurrent pyogenic cholangitis and cholangiocarcinoma. Approximately 35 million people are infected with liver flukes throughout the world and the exceptionally high incidence of cholangiocarcinoma in some endemic areas is closely related with a high prevalence of liver fluke infection. Considering the impact of this food-borne malady on public health and the severe possible clinical consequences, liver fluke infection should not be forgotten or neglected.
authors: Department of Radiology and Center for Imaging Science, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul 135-710, Korea. jhlim@smc.samsung.co.kr
authors: Jae Hoon
authors: JH
authors: Lim
references: J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2008 Aug;23(8 Pt 2):e399-404
references: 18070015
references: J Helminthol. 2005 Sep;79(3):269-81
references: 16153321
references: Dig Dis Sci. 2005 Sep;50(9):1734-40
references: 16133981
references: Int J Parasitol. 1994 Sep;24(6):833-43
references: 7982745
references: Yonsei Med J. 2005 Dec 31;46(6):794-8
references: 16385655
references: Hepatology. 2000 Jan;31(1):12-7
references: 10613721
references: J Hyg (Lond). 1981 Dec;87(3):407-12
references: 7310123
references: Virchows Arch. 2008 Dec;453(6):589-98
references: 18855009
references: Bull World Health Organ. 1984;62(3):451-61
references: 6331907
references: Semin Liver Dis. 2004 May;24(2):139-54
references: 15192787
references: J Hepatol. 2006 Feb;44(2):350-8
references: 16360234
references: Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1996 Sep;55(3):295-301
references: 8842118
references: Dig Surg. 2006;23(5-6):319-24
references: 17170527
references: Br J Surg. 2002 Aug;89(8):962-70
references: 12153620
references: Acta Trop. 2003 Nov;88(3):221-7
references: 14611876
references: J Hepatol. 2006 Jun;44(6):1066-73
references: 16480786
references: Carcinogenesis. 1998 Mar;19(3):485-91
references: 9525284
references: Am J Gastroenterol. 2000 Jan;95(1):204-7
references: 10638584
references: Acta Trop. 2003 Nov;88(3):209-20
references: 14611875
references: Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 1981;75(6):814-24
references: 6277052
references: Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health. 1998 Jun;29(2):327-32
references: 9886122
references: Arzneimittelforschung. 1984;34(9B):1167-9
references: 6542384
references: Korean J Parasitol. 1994 Mar;32(1):13-8
references: 8167103
references: Mutat Res. 1994 Mar 1;305(2):241-52
references: 7510035
references: World J Gastroenterol. 2008 Apr 21;14(15):2297-302
references: 18416453
references: Lancet Infect Dis. 2005 Jan;5(1):31-41
references: 15620559
references: Int J Epidemiol. 1996 Oct;25(5):933-40
references: 8921477
references: Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 1990 Sep-Oct;84(5):715-9
references: 2177578
references: J Korean Med Sci. 2009 Dec;24(6):995-1003
references: 19949651
references: Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1982 Nov;31(6):1156-63
references: 6983303
references: Hepatology. 2001 Oct;34(4 Pt 1):651-8
references: 11584359
references: J Pathol Bacteriol. 1956 Jul;72(1):239-46
references: 13368000
references: World Health Organ Tech Rep Ser. 1995;849:1-157
references: 7740791
references: Cancer Lett. 1994 Apr 1;78(1-3):121-5
references: 8180954
references: Gastroenterology. 1985 Jul;89(1):151-6
references: 2989071
references: Arzneimittelforschung. 1984;34(9B):1121-6
references: 6095876
references: Korean J Parasitol. 1996 Mar;34(1):7-14
references: 8820736
references: Korean J Parasitol. 1993 Mar;31(1):21-30
references: 8390293
references: AJR Am J Roentgenol. 1990 Nov;155(5):1001-8
references: 2120925
references: Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health. 1989 Mar;20(1):95-100
references: 2772709
references: Hum Pathol. 2002 May;33(5):503-11
references: 12094375
references: J Hepatobiliary Pancreat Surg. 2000;7(6):542-50
references: 11180885
references: Histol Histopathol. 2002;17(3):851-61
references: 12168796
references: Int J Cancer. 1994 Nov 15;59(4):505-9
references: 7960220
references: Am J Gastroenterol. 1966 Apr;45(4):267-75
references: 5930054
references: Science. 1996 Dec 6;274(5293):1672-7
references: 8939849
references: Zhongguo Ji Sheng Chong Xue Yu Ji Sheng Chong Bing Za Zhi. 2005 Oct 30;23(5 Suppl):332-40
references: 16562464