The Turkish Journal of Pediatrics
2012 , Vol 54 , Num 4
Fasciola hepatica infection: clinical and radiological findings in pediatric patients
1Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics and 2Department of Radiology, Hacettepe University Faculty of
Medicine, Ankara, Turkey. E-mail: dredakaradag@gmail.com
Fascioliasis, an uncommon liver disease in children, is caused by the trematode
Fasciola hepatica. Its clinical and laboratory findings may mimic several
disorders of the liver, including malignancies. Diagnosis is usually made by
demonstrating the presence of the parasite in liver tissue or the stool, or by
serology, but many children are diagnosed incidentally. Described here are
the clinical, laboratory and radiological features of five pediatric fascioliasis
cases with different clinical pictures presenting over a period of five years,
all of whom were successfully cured with oral triclabendazole.
Keywords :
Fasciola hepatica, child, clinical and radiological findings.