Pulmonary cystic echinococcosis: Two cases, two treatment options

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Ahmed Babiker, Emory University; Zied Gaifer, The National Guard hospital, Madinah, Saudi Arabia
• Language: English
• Date: 2020-01-01
• Publisher: Oman Medical Specialty Board
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: Oman Medical Journal (OMJ) © 2020
• License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.5001/omj.2020.13
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Oman Medical Journal
• Volume: 35
• Issue: 1
• Start Page: e95
• End Page: e95
• Grant/Funding Information: None declared
• Keywords: Cestode Infections; Echinococcosis, Pulmonary; Albendazole; Cysts; Echinococcus; Liver
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Pathology; Health Sciences, Epidemiology; Health Sciences, Public Health

Abstract

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a zoonotic infection caused by the tapeworm of the genus Echinococcus, a cestode endemic in many parts of the world. CE can affect any organ, with the lung being the second most commonly affected organ after the liver. For the management of pulmonary CE, guidelines recommend surgical resection of cysts with adjuvant anti-helminthic therapy. In cases where surgery is not possible, medical therapy alone can be used. However, to date, there is a paucity of data to advocate for one modality over the other. Here, we report two cases of pulmonary CE caused by E. granulosus, one was managed with surgery and adjuvant anti-helminthic therapy while the other was managed with medical therapy alone. Both patients had clinical and radiological resolution outlining the role and efficacy of both modalities of therapy.