The diagnosis depends upon the finding of ova in the sputa; if together with ova in the sputa, cerebral disturbances make their appearance, in all probability the cause is the presence of worms or ova in the brain.
The prognosis of pulmonary paragonimiasis is favourable; on the other hand, that of cerebral paragonimiasis is very doubtful.
The treatment of the pulmonary lesion consists only in paying attention to the general condition (good food, rest, cough remedies), as all attempts to destroy the worms in the lungs by means of vermicidal drugs administered internally or by way of inhalation have so far been without result. The treatment of the cerebral lesion is entirely hopeless. Trephining has been proposed for cases the condition of which is more favourable, but it has not reached the stage of performance.
Prophylaxis consists in general management: cleansing and if need be boiling of everything that is eaten or drunk.
Clonorchis sinensis.
According to our present knowledge Clonorchis sinensis is only found in China and Japan; even the post-mortem case reported by Laspeyres[476] was that of an Asiatic sailor who was admitted into the General Hospital St. George, Hamburg, in a moribund condition with the clinical diagnosis of beri-beri. The bile-ducts are the usual site of the parasite, though Katsurada[477] has found them also in the pancreatic ducts. In addition, it is found not uncommonly in the upper portion of the small intestine, especially in the duodenum, also, though decidedly rarely, in the stomach. As these sites, however, do not afford the conditions necessary to life, they are only found here on their way out of the body of the host.
The initial stage of infection with this fluke generally runs a symptomless course; in proportion as the worms multiply the following symptoms are manifested: First there is a morbid sense of hunger and irregularity in defæcation; at the same time the patient experiences a feeling of pressure and pain in the epigastrium and right hypochondrium, or just a dull pain. Pressure increases the pain considerably. The liver appears to be enlarged, sometimes the enlargement is specially perceptible over the left lobe of the liver. The patients maintain a proportionately good general state of health in this state for a long time and may hope to recover. In severe cases there occurs copious and generally bloody diarrhœa, also icterus. The next stages are anæmia, emaciation, epistaxis, ascites, enlarged spleen, and cachexia, to which the patient finally succumbs. In general the course of the disease is very chronic and irregular; in winter and spring there is generally improvement, in the summer and autumn the patient gets worse. At post-mortem the bile-ducts are enlarged and thickened, there is interstitial hepatitis with enlargement of the liver, but not to such an extent as in hypertrophic cirrhosis. After the initial enlargement contraction of the liver sets in, the peritoneal coat and capsule proper of the liver become more or less thickened in places. In the pancreas also dilatation and thickening of the ducts occur, as well as interstitial inflammatory processes. Obstructions in the portal circulation may lead to catarrhal changes in the stomach.
The diagnosis is based on the demonstration of ova in the fæces.
As a radical treatment is still unknown, consequently it can only be purely symptomatic. Prophylaxis consists in the prohibition of drinking unboiled water or eating uncooked molluscs, fish, etc., of canal water. Leaving the epidemic region may bring about gradual recovery.