Ultrasonographic features of hepatobiliary pathology in opisthorchiasis and opisthorchiasis-associated cholangiocarcinoma

Highlight
- The carcinogenic liver fluke, Opisthorchis viverrini, remains an important public health problem in northeast Thailand.
- Sustained production of fibrosis may involve in transformation from inflammation to cancer.
- Periductal fibrosis is a prominent sonographic finding in chronic opisthorchiasis.

Infection with the liver fluke, Opisthorchis viverrini (Ov), is an important public health problem in northeast Thailand where people have a habit of eating raw or inadequately cooked fish. Opisthorchiasis is associated with a number of asymptomatic hepatobiliary abnormalities and cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) that can be observed conveniently by ultrasonography. Based on our accumulated data, characteristic features of ultrasonographic findings of hepatobiliary pathology in Ov infection are reviewed. Also, the ultrasonographic classification of periductal fibrosis in Ov infection of opisthorchiasis will be proposed herein.