Diagnostic Accuracy of Ultrasonography in Detecting Biliary Ascariasis Taking Surgery as Gold Standard

Abstract

Background: Biliary ascariasis, caused by the intestinal parasite Ascaris lumbricoides, is a diagnostic challenge due to its varied clinical manifestations. This study evaluates the effectiveness of ultrasonography as a non-invasive diagnostic tool for detecting biliary ascariasis, using surgical findings as the gold standard.

Objective: To assess the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasonography in identifying biliary ascariasis.

Methodology: This cross-sectional Conducted over 4 months at Pak City Diagnostic Centre D.G Kahn, analytical study employed non-probability purposive sampling. The study included 138 patients of all ages and genders presenting with symptoms indicative of biliary ascariasis and who had undergone surgery in the past year. Exclusion criteria were cholecystectomy history, pregnancy, lactation, or suspected biliary malignancy. Ultrasound imaging was performed using GE Logiq P7 convex probe.3.5-5MHz

Results: Of the 138 participants, 57.5% were male and 42.5% female. Common symptoms included abdominal pain (88.2%), jaundice (68.5%), vomiting (66.1%), and diarrhea (66.9%). Observations of worms occurred in 70.9% of patients. Ultrasound findings correlated with surgical results in 98.3% of cases. Diagnostic metrics demonstrated a sensitivity of 98.33%, specificity of 71.43%, and an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.849, confirming high diagnostic accuracy.

Conclusion: The study highlights ultrasonography as a highly sensitive and specific diagnostic tool for biliary ascariasis. Its reliability and accuracy, comparable to surgical findings, support its role as a valuable, non-invasive method for diagnosing this condition.