Subtle to severe hepatobiliary morbidity in Opisthorchis viverrini endemic settings in southern Laos.
Evidence of severe hepatobiliary morbidity associated with Opisthorchis viverrini liver fluke infection including cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is scarce in Laos although O. viverrini infection is highly prevalent. We assessed hepatobiliary morbidity using abdominal ultrasonography (US) in O. viverrini adult patients in Saravan province, Southern Laos. A random sample of 431 O. viverrini patients from 10 villages underwent abdominal US. Mild, moderate and markedly advanced periductal fibrosis was diagnosed in 7.0%, 66.5%, and 17.0% of patients, respectively. Normal liver parenchyma was seen in only 9.5% of patients. Presence of gall stones (13.2%), sludge (1.4%), gall wall thickening (1.2%), bile duct dilatation (1.6%), fatty liver (12.0%), kidney stones (8.6%) and cysts (7.9%) were diagnosed in considerable frequencies. In five patients (1.2%) hepatobiliary lesions suggesting CCA were diagnosed. Tumour markers, i.e. Interleukin-6, plasminogen activator inhibitor and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 were within normal range. The number of CCA suspected liver masses and hepatobiliary morbidity diagnosed among clinically asymptomatic adult patients in O. viverrini endemic area presents a major public health concern in Laos. However, definitive diagnosis of Opisthorchis-related severe sequelae including CCA is urgently needed to gauge the burden of this deadly disease in Laos.
['Ayé Soukhathammavong|Phonepasong|P|', 'Rajpho|Virasack|V|', 'Phongluxa|Khampheng|K|', 'Vonghachack|Youthanavanh|Y|', 'Hattendorf|Jan|J|', 'Hongvanthong|Bouasy|B|', 'Rasaphon|Oroth|O|', 'Sripa|Banchob|B|', 'Akkhavong|Kongsap|K|', 'Hatz|Christoph|C|', 'Odermatt|Peter|P|']
D000328:Adult D000818:Animals D001650:Bile Duct Neoplasms D001653:Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor D018395:CA-19-9 Antigen D018281:Cholangiocarcinoma D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies D005234:Fatty Liver D005260:Female D006801:Humans D015850:Interleukin-6 D007812:Laos D008109:Liver Diseases, Parasitic D008297:Male D008875:Middle Aged D009889:Opisthorchiasis D009891:Opisthorchis D015849:Plasminogen Inactivators D015995:Prevalence D012720:Severity of Illness Index D014463:Ultrasonography D055815:Young Adult
Hepatobiliary morbidity Opisthorchis viverrini Laos Cholangiocarcinoma Ultrasonography