Metagonimiasis

Editor-In-Chief: Prab R Tumpati, MD
Obesity, Sleep & Internal medicine
Founder, WikiMD Wellnesspedia &
W8MD medical weight loss NYC and sleep center NYC

Metagonimiasis
Synonyms
Pronounce	N/A
Specialty	N/A
Symptoms	Diarrhea, abdominal pain, fatigue
Complications	Intestinal perforation, myocarditis
Onset
Duration
Types
Causes	Infection by Metagonimus yokogawai
Risks	Consumption of raw or undercooked fish
Diagnosis	Stool examination, serology
Differential diagnosis
Prevention	Proper cooking of fish
Treatment	Praziquantel
Medication
Prognosis	Generally good with treatment
Frequency	Endemic in parts of Asia, including Korea, China, Japan, and Taiwan
Deaths	N/A

Alternate names

Metagonimus yokogawai infection

Definition

Metagonimiasis is a disease caused by an intestinal trematode, most commonly Metagonimus yokagawai.

Causal Agents

Metagonimus yokogawai, a minute intestinal fluke (and the smallest human fluke).

Epidemiology

Mostly the Far East, as well as Siberia, Manchuria, the Balkan states, Israel, and Spain.

Signs and symptoms

• The main symptoms are diarrhea and colicky abdominal pain.
• Migration of the eggs to extraintestinal sites (heart, brain) can occur, with resulting symptoms.

Diagnosis

• The diagnosis is based on the microscopic identification of eggs in the stool.
• However, the eggs are indistinguishable from those of Heterophyes heterophyes and resemble those of Clonorchis and Opisthorchis.
• Specific diagnosis is based on identification of the adult fluke evacuated after antihelminthic therapy, or found at autopsy.

Treatment

• Praziquantel is recommended in both adult and pediatric cases with dosages of 75 mg/kg/d in 3 doses for 1 day.
• Another possible drug option is Tetrachloroethylene, a chlorinated hydrocarbon, but its use has been superseded by new antihelminthic drugs (like Praziquantel).

NIH genetic and rare disease info

• NIH info on Metagonimiasis

Metagonimiasis is a rare disease.

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