Biliary fascioliasis: sonographic appearance patterns.

PURPOSE: To describe the sonographic findings of biliary fascioliasis.

METHOD: The study included 27 patients with fascioliasis and abdominal sonographic findings in biliary system. All diagnoses were confirmed via serologic enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and 5 patients underwent cholecystectomy. Sonographic findings in the biliary system were defined as primary and secondary.

RESULTS

Primary findings included spontaneously moving echogenic structures, linear echoes, curvilinear echoes, oval-shaped echogenic structure, matted echogenic particle, echogenic particle adherent to the gallbladder wall, motionless freely floating round echogenic foci, and leaf-like echogenic structures. Secondary findings were dilatation or wall thickening of the biliary system. In the liver, multiple confluent subcapsular nodules were also noted on sonography and CT in 14 of 27 patients.

CONCLUSION

Sonography can detect biliary system lesions in fascioliasis and can aid diagnosis of the disease. However, the radiologist should be familiar with the different sonographic appearances of biliary fascioliasis.