Abstract
Role of Endoscopy in Parasitic Diseases
Dr Pises Pisespongsa, MD
Chiangmai University
Parasitic diseases are infectious diseases that are still prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions. However, the recent unprecedented movements of people and their animals and also global warming facilitate the spreading of infestation around the world. Some of the gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary parasites e.g. roundworms, hookworms, threadworms, whipworms, Strongyloids, tapeworms and liver flukes can be seen in the lumen of small bowel or can be extracted from the biliary tract. On the other hand, some has so obscured presentation that could be easily missed, especially when the endoscopists are not aware of. The most troublesome of all are those that present as tumors of gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary system, which one can make diagnosis preoperatively only with high index of suspicion. Besides awareness of the endocopists, new endoscopic technology i.e. high resolution endoscopy and electronic chromoendoscopy can also help in improving the diagnosis accuracy of parasitic infestation.
