Clinical and laboratory characterizations of hepatic capillariasis.

Abstract

Hepatic capillariasis is a rare and neglected parasitic disease caused by infection with Capillaria hepatica in human liver. The disease is not well described and the information for the disease's clinical manifestation, laboratory findings and disease management strategy is not well reported. The limited information for this neglected infection often results in the delay of diagnosis or misdiagnosed to other diseases, therefore the real prevalence or severity of the infection may be underestimated. More case report with systemic analysis and features summary of this disease is needed to better understand the serious zoonotic disease. This study included systemic analysis of 16 patients infected with hepatic capillariasis in China between 2011-2017, including clinical manifestations, laboratory/radiative image findings and treatment results. Clinical manifestation included sustained fever (56.25%), respiratory disorder (37.5%), abdominal pain (37.5%), diarrhea (25%), leukocytosis (93.75%) and eosinophilia (100%). No egg was detected in feces of all patients. Over 60% patients showed elevated level of hepatic enzymes and proteins related to liver fibrosis in sera. Ultrasound and MRI examinations displayed scattered parasitic granuloma leisure in affected liver. Liver biopsy revealed parasite eggs, necrotized parasitic granulomas and septal fibrosis. Treatment with albendazole combined with corticoids for several treatment courses cured all patients with capillariasis. The difficulty of diagnosis, apparent damage of liver functions and potential fibrosis make the disease's prevalence and severity underestimated.

• Authors: Lei Wang, Yalan Zhang, Yan Deng, Xiaoli Li, Xiaoyan Zheng, Fei Wang, Yang Zou
• Journal: Acta tropica (Acta Trop) Vol. 193 Pg. 206-210 (May 2019) ISSN: 1873-6254 [Electronic] Netherlands
• PMID: 30710532 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Adrenal Cortex Hormones
• Anthelmintics
• Aspartate Aminotransferases
• Alanine Transaminase
• Albendazole

Topics

• Abdominal Pain (parasitology)
• Adolescent
• Adrenal Cortex Hormones (therapeutic use)
• Adult
• Alanine Transaminase (blood)
• Albendazole (therapeutic use)
• Animals
• Anthelmintics (therapeutic use)
• Aspartate Aminotransferases (blood)
• Capillaria
• Child
• Child, Preschool
• Diarrhea (parasitology)
• Enoplida Infections (blood, complications, diagnosis, drug therapy)
• Eosinophilia (parasitology)
• Female
• Fever (parasitology)
• Humans
• Infant
• Leukocytosis (parasitology)
• Liver Cirrhosis (blood, diagnostic imaging, parasitology)
• Liver Diseases, Parasitic (blood, complications, diagnosis, drug therapy)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Respiratory Tract Diseases (parasitology)
• Young Adult