A Chinese seafood lover has had half of his liver removed after the organ was severely infected by parasites, according to a hospital.
Shocking X-ray image shows an enormous pus-filled lump in the man's liver, with what medics called 'countless lightbulb-shaped' eggs laid inside by the parasitic worms.
The patient told the doctors that he had eaten purposely undercooked fish because it retained a better taste of the meat.
The incident was brought to light when the 55-year-old seafood lover, known by his surname Xie, sought medical attention at Hangzhou First People's Hospital in eastern China.
Mr Xie, a migrant worker from south-western Chinese province Sichuan, had suffered mild abdominal pain and diarrhoea after visiting his family in February, according to a hospital report.
He thought the symptoms were caused by low moods and didn't go to the hospital until June when he developed a high fever for three days.
After examining Mr Xie with a CT scan, doctors were shocked to find a giant abscess, measuring 19 centimetres long (7.5 inches), 18 centimetres (7 inches) wide and 12 centimetres (4.7 inches) deep, in the left lobe of the patient's left liver.
The medics initially tried to reduce the lump's size by draining fluids from the growth but decided to cut half of the man's liver due to the severity of the infection.
Following the removal operation, the surgeons said that they found the lump was filled with 'countless lightbulb-shaped' worm eggs.
Mr Xie was diagnosed with clonorchiasis - an infectious disease caused by a type of parasitic worm commonly known as the Chinese liver fluke.
Doctors believed that the parasites entered the patient's body after the man had eaten half-raw fish, a delicacy in his hometown, whilst he was visiting his family in Sichuan.
Mr Xie said that he had purposely undercooked the dish to retain the fresh taste of the meat.
The parasitic worm, endemic to Asia and Russia, infects fish-eating mammals, including humans.
People might be unaware of the infection caused by Chinese liver fluke in the early stages as it rarely shows any symptoms, according to the hospital's post.
The parasite also has a 'shocking reproductive rate', the report says, producing at once around 1,400 to 2,000 eggs which can live for between 20 and 30 years.
But this type of infection has become rarer in recent years as people are more aware of food hygiene, said the Chinese medical facility.
Mr Xie is believed to have recovered from the hospital following the successful surgery.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
