Abstract
Human hydatid cyst disease is an international public health issue that particularly affects the developing countries. In this article, we discuss the epidemiology of hydatid disease in third world countries, the life cycle of echinococcus granulosus and how to make the clinical diagnosis of the disease, including laboratory tests and imaging modalities as well as uncommon presentation of this entity that we have encountered at the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC). We emphasize on the new World Health Organization classification of hepatic echinococcosis with examples from our clinical practice at AUBMC, and finally we describe the treatment, including medical and interventional therapies.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Polat P, et al. (2003) Hydatid disease from head to toe. Radiographics 23(2):475–494 (quiz 536–7)
Torgerson PR, Budke CM (2003) Echinococcosis—an international public health challenge. Res Vet Sci 74(3):191–202
Kern P, et al. (2006) WHO classification of alveolar echinococcosis: principles and application. Parasitol Int 55:S283–S287
Meneghelli UG, et al. (1992) Polycystic hydatid disease (Echinococcus vogeli): clinical, laboratory and morphological findings in nine Brazilian patients. J Hepatol 14(2):203–210
Eckert J, Deplazes P (2004) Biological, epidemiological, and clinical aspects of echinococcosis, a zoonosis of increasing concern. Clin Microbiol Rev 17(1):107–135
Eckert J (2001) WHO-OIE manual on echinococcosis in humans and animals: a public health problem of global concern, Citeseer
Otero-Abad B, Torgerson PR (2013) A systematic review of the epidemiology of echinococcosis in domestic and wild animals. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 7(6):e2249
Seimenis A (2003) Overview of the epidemiological situation on echinococcosis in the Mediterranean region. Acta Trop 85(2):191–195
Araj GF, Mourad Y (2014) Hydatid disease: the Lebanese contribution. J Med Liban 62(4):217–226
Kamhawi S (1995) A retrospective study of human cystic echinococcosis in Jordan. Ann Trop Med Parasitol 89(4):409–414
Mukbel RM, Torgerson PR, Abo-Shehada MN (2000) Prevalence of hydatidosis among donkeys in northern Jordan. Vet Parasitol 88(1–2):35–42
Seimenis A, Morelli D, Mantovani A (2006) Zoonoses in the Mediterranean region. Ann Ist Super Sanita 42(4):437–445
Chahed MK, et al. (2015) High risk areas for Echinococcosis-hydatidosis in Tunisia. Tunis Med 93(1):33–37
Lahmar S, et al. (2004) Transmission dynamics of the Echinococcus granulosus sheep-dog strain (G1 genotype) in camels in Tunisia. Vet Parasitol 121(1–2):151–156
Lahmar S, Kilani M, Torgerson PR (2001) Frequency distributions of Echinococcus granulosus and other helminths in stray dogs in Tunisia. Ann Trop Med Parasitol 95(1):69–76
Sadjjadi SM (2006) Present situation of echinococcosis in the Middle East and Arabic North Africa. Parasitol Int 55(Suppl):S197–S202
Hassounah O, Behbehani K (1976) The epidemiology of Echinococcus infection in Kuwait. J Helminthol 50(2):65–73
Haridy FM, Ibrahim BB, Morsy TA (2000) Sheep-dog-man. The risk zoonotic cycle in hydatidosis. J Egypt Soc Parasitol 30(2):423–429
Duman L, Girgin M, Hamcan S (2016) Uncomplicated hydatid cysts of the liver: clinical presentation, diagnosis and treatment. J Gastrointest Dig Syst 6(3):1–6
Brunetti E, et al. (2010) Expert consensus for the diagnosis and treatment of cystic and alveolar echinococcosis in humans. Acta Trop 114(1):1–16
Safioleas M, et al. (1994) Diagnostic evaluation and surgical management of hydatid disease of the liver. World J Surg 18(6):859–865
Tuzun M, et al. (2002) Cerebral hydatid disease CT and MR findings. Clin Imaging 26(5):353–357
Alexiou K, et al. (2012) Complications of hydatid cysts of the liver: spiral computed tomography findings. Gastroenterol Res 5(4):139–143
Mahajan D, et al. (2013) Hydatid cyst of liver: a rare cause of secondary budd-chiari syndrome. Postgrad Med Edu Res 47(3):159–161
Ahmed Z, et al. (2016) Primary hydatid cyst of pancreas: case report and review of literature. Int J Surg Case Rep 27:74–77
Patel D, Shukla D (2010) Back bugged: a case of sacral hydatid cyst. J Neurosci Rural Pract 1(1):43–45
Hota D, et al. (2015) Isolated renal hydatidosis presenting as renal mass: a diagnostic dilemma. Urol Case Rep 3(4):103–105
Pukar M, Pukar SM (2013) Giant solitary hydatid cyst of spleen—a case report. Int J Surg Case Rep 4(4):435–437
Chaya D, Parija SC (2014) Performance of polymerase chain reaction for the diagnosis of cystic echinococcosis using serum, urine, and cyst fluid samples. Trop Parasitol 4(1):43–46
Sevinç B, et al. (2015) Three complications of Pair (puncture, aspiration, injection, reaspiration) in one case: recurrent hemobilia, cyst infection and pneumonia. Int J Surg Case Rep 8:189–192
Guidelines for treatment of cystic and alveolar echinococcosis in humans (1996) WHO informal working group on echinococcosis. Bull World Health Organ 74(3):231–242
Stojkovic M, et al. (2009) Treatment response of cystic echinococcosis to benzimidazoles: a systematic review. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 3(9):e524
Koca T, et al. (2016) Cystic eechinococcosis in childhood: five-years of experience from a single-center. Turkiye Parazitol Derg 40(1):26–31
Gomez IGC, et al. (2015) Review of the treatment of liver hydatid cysts. World J Gastroenterol 21(1):124–131
Gil-Grande LA, et al. (1993) Randomised controlled trial of efficacy of albendazole in intra-abdominal hydatid disease. Lancet 342(8882):1269–1272
Arif SH, et al. (2008) Albendazole as an adjuvant to the standard surgical management of hydatid cyst liver. Int J Surg 6(6):448–451
Shams Ul B, et al. (2011) Role of albendazole in the management of hydatid cyst liver. Saudi J Gastroenterol 17(5):343–347
Pakala T, Molina M, Wu GY (2016) Hepatic echinococcal cysts: a review. J Clin Transl Hepatol 4(1):39–46
Piccoli L, et al. (2014) Long-term sonographic and serological follow-up of inactive echinococcal cysts of the liver: hints for a “watch-and-wait” approach. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 8(8):e3057
Yagci G, et al. (2005) Results of surgical, laparoscopic, and percutaneous treatment for hydatid disease of the liver: 10 years experience with 355 patients. World J Surg 29(12):1670–1679
Zaharie F, et al. (2013) Open or laparoscopic treatment for hydatid disease of the liver? A 10-year single-institution experience. Surg Endosc 27(6):2110–2116
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Ethical approval
For this type of study, formal consent is not required. This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Fadel, S.A., Asmar, K., Faraj, W. et al. Clinical review of liver hydatid disease and its unusual presentations in developing countries. Abdom Radiol 44, 1331–1339 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00261-018-1794-7
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00261-018-1794-7