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Updated: Jun 15, 2026
07:44
Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Biliary Drainage: Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Hepaticogastrostomy in Malignant Biliary Obstruction
Published on: March 25, 2022
Biliary fascioliasis mimicking sphincter of Oddi dysfunction
Jonathan Keshishian1, Stephen G Brantley, Patrick G Brady
1Department of Internal Medicine, University of South Florida College of Medicine, Tampa, FL 33609, USA. jkeshish@health.usf.edu
Southern Medical Journal
|March 13, 2010
Summary
Biliary fascioliasis, a rare liver fluke infection, can cause biliary pain. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) successfully diagnosed and treated a Fasciola hepatica infection in a patient
Area of Science:
- Hepatology
- Parasitology
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Fasciola hepatica, a livestock liver fluke, rarely causes chronic biliary tract infections in humans.
- Biliary tract infections can present with non-specific symptoms, complicating diagnosis.
Observation:
- A 38-year-old Ethiopian woman presented with right upper quadrant pain and a dilated common bile duct.
- Initial imaging (ultrasound, MRCP) suggested sphincter of Oddi dysfunction, but ERCP revealed a Fasciola hepatica fluke in the common hepatic duct.
Findings:
- Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is both diagnostic and therapeutic for biliary fascioliasis.
- The case highlights the successful removal of a liver fluke via ERCP.
Implications:
- Fascioliasis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of biliary pain, especially in patients from endemic regions.
- This case underscores the importance of considering parasitic infections in hepatobiliary disease presentations.
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