Clonorchis sinensis of hepatobiliary tract was originally found in a Chinese carpenter by Cobbold in 1875 and named Distoma sinensis. Widerspread in the eastern Asia, the main endemic areas of human infestation of the clonorchis sinensis are Japan, Korea, China, Formosa and Indochina.
We found adult worms of liver fluke in 24 cases out of 180 cases of hepatobiliary surgery for 3 years and 7 months from Jan.1972 and July 1975, at the Department of Surgery, Presbyte-rian Medical Center, Taegu, Korea. All of the surgically confirmed clonorchfiasis are associated with surgical hepatobiliary diseases, which are listed below.
1) Acalculous cholecystitis
2) Cholelithiasis
3) Choledocholithiasis
4) Bile duct cell carcinoma
5) Cholangiohepatitis
6) Empyema gall bladder
7) Pancreatitis
1. Male sex was predominant in incidence of clonorchiasis and it was a good contrast to that
of general biliary tract pathology which is high in incidence in female sex.
2. The majority of the cases, are in the 4th and 5th decades of age (75%) and it is thought, to be related with their long incubation period.
3. Preoperative diagnosis of complicated clonorchiasis is difficult
4. The clonorchiasis is thought to be related to the etiologic factors of biliary calculus, cholangiohepatitis and primary hepatoma.
5. Clinical symptoms and signs are not pathognomonic and related to their associated hepatobi-liary pathologies.
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