Tuberc Respir Dis.  1980 Dec;27(4):145-150. 10.4046/trd.1980.27.4.145.

Clinical Study of Pulmonary Paragonimiasis

• KMID: 2528871
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4046/trd.1980.27.4.145

Abstract

Sixty four cases of pulmonary paragonimiasis during ten years from Jan. 1971 to Oct. 1980 were revewed. The most characteristic symptoms of paragonimiasis were rusty colored sputum and cough. The chest X-ray showed abnormal findings with characteristic parenechymal infiItrations in 79.6%, pleural changes in 23.4% and pneumothorax in 14.1% of cases. In contrast to the X-ray findings of other studies, the ring shedows were not prominant feature in these cases. Skin test for paragonimus westermani was positive in aII cases. The eggs of paragonimus westermani were domonstrated in 21. 3% of cases by one occation of sputum test, and 5.8% by stool test. 47% of patients were misdiagnosed or treated as pulmonary tuberculosis, and only 7.8% of patients were diagnosed or suspected as pulmonary paragonimiasis prior to being confirmed as paragonimiasis. The result of treatment with one course of bithionol was satisfactory. No recurrence was noted except for one case of empyema which was cured by decortication later. From this study, it is emphasized that stiIl the infection of paragonimus westermani is not rare in Korea and pulmonary paragonimias is should be ruled out when the suspicious symptoms and radiological findings appeared.