Radiological findings of human fascioliasis

Abstract

Fasciola hepatica is a trematode of herbivorous mammals. Humans are accidentally infected by the ingestion of water or raw aquatic vegetables contaminated with the metacercaria. Radiological findings of six patients with fascioliasis (five hepatic fascioliasis, one biliary fascioliasis) were analyzed. The diagnosis was based on serological testing and/or histopathologic findings of eosinophilic abscess in five patients and identification of the adult worm in one patient. The characteristic radiological features of hepatic fascioliasis were (1) cluster of microabscesses arranged in tract-like fashion (burrow tract), (2) subcapsular location of the hepatic lesions, and (3) very slow evolution of the lesion on follow-up examinations. In biliary fascioliasis, there were multiple conglomerated filling defects in the common bile duct. The authors believe that the demonstration of these features, together with peripheral eosinophilia or eosinophilic aspirate from the hepatic lesion, is very helpful in making the correct diagnosis.

Hepatobiliary fascioliasis: a case with unusual radiological features

“…The characteristic features on CT are described as multiple confluent hypodense nodules and tunnel-like branching hypodense tracts. These lesions are mainly subcapsular and do not enhance on CT (5,13,14). Hepatic sonographic findings have been described as small clustered hypoechoic lesions with poorly defined contours and hypoechoic nodular lesions (6,(14)(15)(16).…”

Hepatobiliary fascioliasis; imaging characteristics with a new finding

“…In one patient, mild hyperdense materials were identified in the dilated bile duct as a new imaging finding. In hepatobiliary fascioliasis, migration of the parasite from the liver parenchyma to the biliary duct can result in subcapsular hemorrhage in the liver parenchyma (8,9). Wedge-shaped hemorrhagic infarction in the periphery of the liver was reported as a result of an experimental study on hepatobiliary fascioliasis (10).…”

Ectopic fascioliasis mimicking a colon tumor

“…The diagnosis can be verified 95%-100% by the enzyme linked immunoabsorbent assay (ELISA) [14] . Radiological findings of fascioliasis are based mainly on US and CT [8,15] . There are recent studies reporting magnetic resonance imaging to be useful in the diagnosis of fasciola hepatica [16,17] .…”

“…There are recent studies reporting magnetic resonance imaging to be useful in the diagnosis of fasciola hepatica [16,17] . CT can be useful in the diagnosis and the findings can be pathognomonic in almost 90% of the patients [15] . A strange manifestation of fascioliasis is the disease in sites other than the liver.…”