Diagnosis, treatment, and management of echinococcosis

SUMMARY POINTS Echinococcosis is a parasitic zoonosis caused by Echinococcus cestode worms The two major species of medical importance are Echinococcus granulosus and E multilocularis, which cause cystic echinococcosis (CE) and alveolar echinococcosis (AE), respectively CE and especially AE are life...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:BMJ (Online) 2012-06, Vol.344 (7861), p.39-44
Main Authors: McManus, Donald P, Gray, Darren J, Zhang, Wenbao, Yang, Yurong
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Anticestodal Agents - therapeutic use
Benzimidazoles
CLINICAL REVIEW
Cysts
Echinococcosis
Echinococcosis - diagnosis
Echinococcosis - parasitology
Echinococcosis - therapy
Echinococcus granulosus
Echinococcus multilocularis
Humans
Imaging
Lesions
Liver
Magnetic resonance imaging
Parasites
Pulmonary alveoli
Ultrasonography
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Summary:SUMMARY POINTS Echinococcosis is a parasitic zoonosis caused by Echinococcus cestode worms The two major species of medical importance are Echinococcus granulosus and E multilocularis, which cause cystic echinococcosis (CE) and alveolar echinococcosis (AE), respectively CE and especially AE are life threatening chronic diseases with a high fatality rate and poor prognosis if careful clinical management is not carried out Human CE is cosmopolitan and the more common presentation, accounting for most of the estimated two to three million global echinococcosis cases. AE has an extensive geographical range in the northern hemisphere Diagnosis is based on clinical findings, imaging (radiology, ultrasonography, computed axial tomography, magnetic resonance imaging), and serology Treatment options for CE are: surgery, percutaneous sterilisation, drugs, and observation (watch and wait). Surgery is the basis of treatment for early AE, but patients not suitable for surgery and those who have had surgical resection of parasite lesions must be treated with benzimidazoles (albendazole, mebendazole) for several years
ISSN:0959-8138
1756-1833
1756-1833
DOI:10.1136/bmj.e3866