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A Chinese man has had half his liver removed because it was infested with "countless" worms - caused by eating undercooked fish.
The 55-year-old man known only as Xie had suffered stomach pain and diarrhoea for four months before he went to hospital.
According to Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Xie thought his symptoms were from depression, but after his fever spiked for four days he sought medical attention.
An x-ray revealed an enormous pus-filled lump in his liver measuring 19 centimetres long and 18 centimetres wide.
Doctors attempted to reduce the swelling by draining the abscess but quickly realised the infection was too severe - it would need to be cut out.
When they cut out the infected half of Xie's liver they found a "countless" number of eggs laid by Chinese liver fluke - a type of parasitic worm found in undercooked fish.
The parasitic worm, endemic to Asia and Russia, infects fish-eating mammals, including humans.
Xie admitted he had purposefully undercooked fish he had caught while visiting his family in Sichuan, as he said it makes the meat taste better.
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.
Hangzhou First People's Hospital reports the man has made a full recovery following the operation.
