Introduction
Echinococcosis (hydatid disease) is a parasitic infection caused by the larval stages of tapeworms of the genus Echinococcus. For the surgical exam you need its life cycle, the main forms (cystic and alveolar), the clinical picture and complications, the imaging and serological diagnosis, the surgical and percutaneous treatment options, and the role of albendazole.
Etiology and life cycle
The adult worms live in the small intestine of definitive hosts, mainly dogs and other canids. Eggs passed in the faeces contaminate food, water, soil and the coats of animals. Humans become accidental intermediate hosts, like sheep and cattle in the natural cycle, and they are a dead end for the parasite. Infection is acquired by ingesting eggs, usually through close contact with dogs and poor hand hygiene.
- Echinococcus granulosus: causes cystic echinococcosis (CE), the most common form in Bulgaria and the Mediterranean region.
- Echinococcus multilocularis: causes alveolar echinococcosis (AE), rarer but far more dangerous, with an infiltrative, tumour-like growth.