TWO CASES OF ABDOMINAL PARAGONIMIASIS

Extrapulmonary infection or heterotopic parasitism caused by the genus Paragonimus in the human body is well documented in case reports. Here, two cases of abdominal paragonimiasis were reported. In case 1, a patient was an 81-year-old Japanese female, who complained of epigastric pain, and received the laparatomy with a diagnosis of cecum cancer. After the operation, many eggs were found in the excised nodules around the greater omentum and were identified as those of the Paragonimus species on the basis oftheir size and shape. In a second patient, a 64-year-old Japanese female, who complained of stomach discomfort, the laparatomy was performed with a diagnosis of gastric cancer, and many Paragonimus eggs were also discovered in the excised nodules around the greater omentum. These cases were regarded as ectopic parasitism of the Paragonimus species. But, the name of species could not be determined, because no adult flukes were found in the contents of the nodules.