Pulmonary echinococcosis is a parasitic disease caused by the larvae of Echinococcus granulosus in the human lungs. It is more common in pastoral areas. The incidence rates are relatively high in pastoral regions of China, such as Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Tibet, Qinghai, Gansu, and Ningxia. This disease presents as an expansive space-occupying lesion, with risks such as rupture or aspiration of cystic fluid into the bronchi, leading to drowning-like asphyxia or triggering allergic reactions. Therefore, once diagnosed, surgical treatment should be performed to eliminate the source of infection, with favorable therapeutic outcomes.

bubble_chart Clinical Manifestations

1. Larger cysts can cause respiratory compression symptoms such as cough, chest tightness, chest pain, and shortness of breath. 2. If a hydatid cyst ruptures into a bronchus, it can lead to severe coughing, expectoration of large amounts of cystic fluid, and may also cause suffocation or allergic reactions such as fever, rash, and shock. 3. In cases of larger cysts, percussion over the affected area may reveal dullness, and auscultation may show reduced or absent breath sounds. 4. Giant cysts may cause signs such as displacement of the trachea or heart toward the unaffected side.

bubble_chart Diagnosis

1. History of animal (dog) contact; 2. Cough, chest tightness, sputum production, hemoptysis; 3. Chest X-ray: Single or multiple round masses of varying sizes are observed, with clear boundaries, uniform density, and smooth edges. If the outer wall of the cyst ruptures, a crescent-shaped translucent area appears at the top of the cyst. If both the outer and inner walls rupture, a fluid level is seen within the cyst, presenting the "water lily" sign. 4. Immunodiagnosis: The positive rate of the ABC method (biotin-avidin system) is approximately 80-90%. **[Treatment Principles]** 1. Surgical resection of the lesion is the only curative treatment for this condition. 2. Surgery should ideally be performed before severe compression symptoms or complications develop. 3. For infected cysts, preoperative antibiotic therapy and postural drainage should be administered to minimize sputum production and reduce surgical complications.

Surgical treatment for this disease should be performed as early as possible, ideally before the onset of compressive symptoms or complications.

bubble_chart Cure Criteria

1. Recovery: After the lesion is removed, symptoms and signs disappear, and the remaining lung expands well; 2. Improvement: Symptoms are alleviated; 3. No recovery: Symptoms show no improvement.

bubble_chart Prognosis

This disease is primarily caused by ingesting food or water contaminated with eggs of Echinococcus granulosus. Therefore, prevention efforts should focus on public education, protecting water sources, preventing contamination of food and water by animal feces (from dogs, wolves, foxes), maintaining drinking water hygiene, washing hands before meals, and avoiding oral transmission of the disease. When diagnosing this condition, cyst puncture should be avoided as a diagnostic method to prevent serious complications such as cyst fluid leakage, massive aspiration of cyst fluid into the bronchi leading to drowning-like asphyxia, allergic reactions, and dissemination of echinococcosis.