Usefulness of High-Resolution Sonography in Early Diagnosis of Rabbit Clonorchiasis.

Lim,  Jae Hoon; Choi,  Dongil; Hong,  Sung Tae; Lee,  Mejeong; Chung,  Il Gyu; Phyun,  Lae Hyun; Pyeun,  Yong Seon

Journal of Korean Society of Medical Ultrasound 1999;18(3): 161-166.

Jae Hoon Lim, Dongil Choi, Sung Tae Hong, Mejeong Lee, Il Gyu Chung, Lae Hyun Phyun, Yong Seon Pyeun

¹Department of Radiology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Korea.
²Department of Parasitology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Korea.

Published online: January 1, 2001.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To determine the role of high-resolution sonography in the early diagnosis of experimentally induced clonorchiasis in rabbits. MATERIALS and METHODS: We performed sonographic examination weekly in 22 lightly-infected rabbits (10 rabbits infected with 10 metacercariae, 6 rabbits infected with 20 metacercariae, and 6 rabbits infected with 40 metacer-cariae), and 10 heavily-infected rabbits (500 metacercariae). The sonographic criterion of diagnosis was dilatation of the intrahepatic ducts. We sacrificed lightly-infected rabbits and counted numbers of adult worms of Clonorchis sinensis 9 weeks after infection. RESULTS: Sonographic abnormalities were found 3 weeks after infection in 2 lightly-infected rabbits and 5 heavily-infected rabbits. On sonography at 9 weeks after infection, we observed dilatation of the intrahepatic ducts in 11 (65%) of 17 lightly-infected rabbits and all of 10 heavily-infected rabbits. CONCLUSION:High-resolution sonography is very useful in early diagnosis of rabbit clonorchiasis.

Keywords: Liver US; Bile ducts inflammation; Clonorchiasis