Oriental infestational cholangitis.

One hundred forty-one patients with non-neoplastic cholangitis in Southwest Korea were analyzed for etiologic factors, pathologic changes, and clinical management in an effort to understand the clinicopathologic course of this disease. Our study supports the concept of infestational cholangitis. A staging system for this disease process has been proposed. The limited value of choledocholithotomy and choledochostomy in the more advanced stages of the disease process has been documented, suggesting the need for more effective internal biliary drainage when irreversible changes have occurred.