Clonorchiasis of the pancreas

Three patients with pancreatic clonorchiasis were examined with endoscopic retrograde pancreatography. On each of the three cases there was diffuse irregular dilatation of tributaries of the pancreatic duct in the pancreatic tail. The main pancreatic duct and tributaries draining into the body and head portion were not dilated. A sonogram from one patient showed diffuse enlargement of the pancreas, especially the tail. All three patients showed typical cholangiographic findings of hepatic clonorchiasis, namely diffuse peripheral intrahepatic bile duct dilatation with no or minimal dilatation of the extrahepatic duct. When the tributaries of the pancreatic duct in the tail of the pancreas are diffusely dilated, in the appropriate clinical setting, pancreatitis caused by Clonorchis sinensis should be considered.