Severe liver damage caused by the habit of eating raw food.

A 41-year-old male patient in Hanoi was recently found to have severe liver damage due to a large liver fluke infection, stemming from his habit of frequently eating raw food.

Images showing lesions caused by liver flukes.

Severe liver damage caused by parasites was discovered during a routine health checkup.

Recently, Medlatec Tay Ho Polyclinic received Mr. LTN (41 years old, from Hanoi ) for a routine health check-up. During the examination, doctors discovered that the patient had severe liver damage due to a large liver fluke infection.

The initial cause has been identified as related to eating habits. It is known that Mr. N.'s family runs a restaurant and frequently consumes raw foods such as raw vegetables and raw fish dishes, and they do not have a habit of deworming regularly.

The patient's test results revealed elevated eosinophil counts, along with several abnormalities such as lipid metabolism disorders, and elevated liver enzymes, blood sugar, and blood lipids. Ultrasound imaging showed abnormal structures in the right liver lobe, calcifications, and grade I fatty degeneration.

To clarify the diagnosis, the doctor ordered Mr. N. to have an abdominal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. The results revealed multiple localized lesions in the right lobe of the liver, with multiple areas of liquefaction and necrosis, suspected to be caused by parasites. Simultaneously, specialized tests confirmed a positive result for liver fluke and threadworm.

The patient was diagnosed with liver damage due to the giant liver fluke, along with dyslipidemia. The doctor prescribed a treatment plan and scheduled a follow-up appointment after one month of treatment.

Warning: Liver fluke infection lurking due to Vietnamese eating habits.

According to Master's degree holder and resident physician Tran Van Chieu, Head of the Biochemistry Department at Medlatec Testing Center, liver fluke infection is a dangerous parasitic disease transmitted through the digestive tract when people consume food or water containing fluke eggs or larvae.

Common causes include aquatic vegetables (water spinach, watercress, lettuce, etc.), or undercooked foods (blood pudding, raw fish salad, raw snails, raw oysters, etc.). Traditional eating habits and modern culinary trends (salads, sashimi, raw seafood), if not hygienic, create conditions for parasites to enter the body.

It's worth noting that the disease often doesn't cause obvious symptoms in the early stages. Patients may only experience dull abdominal pain, fatigue, mild fever, diarrhea, and nausea – symptoms easily mistaken for common digestive disorders. Therefore, many cases are detected late, when the parasites have matured, causing bile duct obstruction or forming abscesses in the liver, making treatment much more complicated.

Doctors warn about the dangers of liver flukes; large flukes can cause liver abscesses and liver necrosis; small flukes often cause inflammation, bile duct obstruction, gallstones, and bile duct cancer... Therefore, early detection and timely treatment play a crucial role in determining the success and complete cure of the disease.

The doctor said the disease is curable if detected early. Depending on the type of parasite and the extent of the damage, patients are prescribed praziquantel or triclobendazole for a few days. Severe cases such as bile duct obstruction or liver abscess may require endoscopic intervention or surgery to drain and remove the parasite.

Liver fluke infection is a fairly common parasitic disease in Vietnam and many Southeast Asian countries, but it is noteworthy that the disease is completely preventable if people proactively change their eating and lifestyle habits as recommended by their doctors.

Therefore, people need to pay attention to washing vegetables thoroughly, soaking them in salt water or disinfectant solutions, and avoiding eating raw aquatic vegetables; seafood and meat should be cooked thoroughly; wash hands with soap before preparing and eating; have regular health checkups, especially for those who frequently eat raw food, to screen for and detect abnormalities in the liver and bile ducts early.

THIEN LAM

Source: https://nhandan.vn/ton-thuong-gan-nghiem-trong-do-thoi-quen-an-do-song-post906969.html