Live Worms Found Inside 70-Year-Old Man’s Abdomen After Bile Duct Blockage Surgery

A 70-year-old cancer patient was found to have worms in his abdomen after undergoing a procedure to investigate bile duct blockages. According to the New York Post, five parasitic flatworms were found wriggling in the man’s biliary tract, a network of tubes and ducts that transport digestive fluids from the liver to the gut.

When a team of Chinese doctors performed the procedure on the man, they discovered worms living in his abdomen, which led to the discovery of a tumour in his large intestine. Fortunately, the parasites were removed by the doctors, who then gave the patient a prescription for medication to treat similar infections. In order to treat the intestinal cancer, they also started chemotherapy on him.

The news portal states that the worms were Clonorchis sinensis. These flatworms, which are common in some parts of East Asia, typically infect the bile duct after a person consumes raw or undercooked freshwater fish or prawns.

When the man visited the hospital for a cholangioscopy — a procedure where a camera is inserted through the mouth or skin to examine the upper abdomen for issues — the worms were unintentionally found. Although the worms are believed to be unrelated, he had previously been diagnosed with a kind of cancer that develops in the colon or large intestine. According to The New England Journal of Medicine report, the doctors determined that the worms were C. sinensis, a type that appears flat and shaped like a leaf.

When a person consumes fish or prawns that contain an immature version of the parasite, it travels to the bile duct, gallbladder, or liver, where it matures into adult worms measuring 15 to 20 millimetres in length and three to four millimetres in width – roughly the size of a staple.

Most people are unaware that they have worms in their biliary system, which includes the bile ducts, liver, and gallbladder, which produce, store, and secrete digestive juices like bile. Although the condition is usually asymptomatic, it can lead to liver inflammation, gallstones, and bile duct cancer if left untreated.

A 2005 study published in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases estimates that the risk of contracting parasitic worms is present in at least 600 million people globally. However, China, Korea, and Vietnam have the highest risk, where worms are endemic and eating raw or undercooked fish is part of the traditional cuisine.