Fascioliasis - Pleuropulmonary Manifestations an Overview

Abstract

Fascioliasis, which is a zoonotic infestation caused by the trematode Fasciolia hepatica (liver fluke), is primarily a disease of herbivorous animals such as sheep and cattle. Humans become accidental hosts through ingesting uncooked aquatic plants such as watercress. It presents a wide spectrum of clinical pictures ranging from fever, eosinophilia and vague gastrointestinal symptoms in the acute phase to cholangitis, cholecystitis, biliary obstruction, extrahepatic infestation, or asymptomatic eosinophilia in the chronic phase. Because of its infrequent and protean presentation and the lack of clinical data, the management of acute infection is challenging. Lung manifestations of fasciolia are very rarely reported in the literature. This article reviews the pleuropulmonary complications of fasciolia hepatica infection in humans.