Hydatidosis
Hydatidosis Causes
Susceptibility of humans to infection varies, presumably due to individual differences in nutritional, immunologic, and genetic factors.
Hydatidosis Definition
Echinococcosis, also called hydatid disease, hydatid cyst, unilocular hydatid disease or cystic echinococcosis, is a potentially fatal parasitic disease that can affect many animals, including wildlife, commercial livestock and humans.
Hydatidosis Diagnosis
Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is one of the few parasitic infections in which the basis for laboratory diagnosis is basically serology.
Hydatidosis Symptoms and Signs
As already noted, Echinococcus infection causes large cysts to appear in intermediate hosts. Disease symptoms occur as the cysts grow bigger and start eroding and/or putting pressure on blood vessels and organs. Large cysts can also result to shock if they happen to rupture. Infection with E granulosus, common in Mediterranean countries, usually results in the formation of hydatid cysts in the liver, lungs, kidney and spleen of the intermediate host. In echography or CT scans, hydatid cysts are typically large with a flaky appearance (this is referred to as "hydatid sand"); this indicates the first stage of infection. In the second stage, medical imaging may exhibit multiple daughter cysts. Hydatid cyst of liver can be precisely diagnosed by a serologic assay. However, this is falsely negative in as many as 50% of people with cysts. Eosinophilia is not a feature of cysts unless rupture happens. In fact, often, there are no changes in blood biochemistry.
Hydatidosis Treatment
Treatment includes: metronidazole 400-600mg; albendazole; surgical; aspiration; marsupialization; omentopexy; laminated membrane removal; and mebendazole to prevent recurrence.