Severe liver damage due to the habit of eating raw food

Detection of tapeworm causing severe liver damage through periodic health check-ups

Recently, Medlatec Tay Ho Clinic admitted Mr. LTN (41 years old, in Hanoi ) for a routine health check-up. During the examination, the doctor discovered that the patient had serious liver damage due to large liver flukes.

The initial cause was determined to be related to eating habits. It is known that Mr. N's family runs a drinking place, regularly uses raw foods such as raw vegetables, fish salad... and does not have the habit of regularly deworming.

The patient's test results showed an elevated eosinophil count, along with many abnormalities such as lipid metabolism disorders, and liver enzymes, blood sugar, and blood fat levels all exceeding the threshold. Ultrasound images showed an abnormal structure in the right liver, with calcifications and grade I fatty degeneration.

To clarify the diagnosis, the doctor ordered Mr. N. to have an abdominal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which revealed multiple focal lesions in the right liver, with multiple liquefied necrosis, suspected to be caused by parasites. At the same time, in-depth testing confirmed positive for large liver flukes and strongyloidiasis.

The patient was diagnosed with liver damage due to large liver flukes with lipid disorders. The doctor prescribed a treatment regimen and scheduled a follow-up visit after 1 month of treatment.

Warning of liver flukes lurking from Vietnamese eating habits

According to Master, resident physician Tran Van Chieu - Head of Biochemistry Department, Medlatec Testing Center, liver fluke is a dangerous parasitic disease, transmitted through the digestive tract when people eat food or drink water containing eggs or larvae of flukes.

Common agents come from aquatic vegetables (water spinach, celery, lettuce...), or undercooked dishes (blood pudding, fish salad, raw snails, raw oysters...). Traditional eating habits and modern culinary trends (salad, sashimi, raw seafood) if not hygienically ensured, both create conditions for parasites to enter the body.

It is worth mentioning that the disease often does not cause obvious symptoms in the early stages. Patients may only experience dull abdominal pain, fatigue, mild fever, diarrhea, nausea - symptoms that are easily confused with common digestive disorders. Therefore, many cases are detected late when the worms have matured, causing bile duct obstruction or forming abscesses in the liver, at which point treatment becomes more complicated.

Doctors warn about the dangers of liver flukes. Large flukes can cause liver abscesses and liver parenchyma necrosis. Small flukes often cause inflammation, biliary obstruction, gallstones, and biliary tract cancer. Therefore, early detection and timely treatment play an important role in determining the success and completeness of treatment.

Doctors say the disease can be cured if detected early. Depending on the type of worm and the extent of the damage, patients are prescribed praziquantel or triclobendazole for a few days. Severe cases such as biliary obstruction or liver abscess may require endoscopic intervention or surgery to drain and remove the parasite.

Liver fluke is a fairly common parasitic disease in Vietnam and many Southeast Asian countries, but it is worth noting that the disease is completely preventable if you proactively change your eating and living habits as recommended by your doctor.

Accordingly, people need to pay attention to washing vegetables clean, soaking them in salt water or disinfectant solution, avoiding eating raw aquatic vegetables; seafood and meat need to be cooked thoroughly; wash hands with soap before processing and eating; have regular health check-ups, especially for those who regularly eat raw food, to screen and detect early abnormalities in the liver and bile ducts.

THIEN LAMB

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