Cystic Echinococcosis

Cystic echinococcosis (CE), or hydatidosis, is caused by the larval stage (metacestode) of Echinococcus granulosus. In humans its clinical spectrum ranges from asymptomatic infection to severe, even fatal disease. CE is increasingly seen in immigrants from endemic areas to Western countries where either the disease is virtually unknown or its prevalence is low. It is rarely reported as a travel-related disease, that is, in short-term travelers to endemic areas, partly because the "hydatid cyst" typically grows slowly and may long remain clinically silent. Clinical management of CE is complex: three treatment options (surgery, medical treatment with albendazole, and percutaneous treatments) are available, but they have never been properly compared. In nonendemic or low-endemic settings, patients with CE should be managed in referral centers, where multidisciplinary teams are available.