Echinococcosis is a disease caused by human infection with the larvae of Echinococcus tapeworms. When a person ingests the eggs of Echinococcus granulosus, the oncospheres inside the eggs hatch in the gastrointestinal tract, penetrate the intestinal wall, and travel through the bloodstream to the liver, heart, lungs, and other tissues and organs throughout the body, developing into hydatid cysts (also known as echinococcal cysts) and causing illness. Hepatic echinococcosis is the most common, followed by pulmonary echinococcosis. It can also occur in muscles, bones, kidneys, brain, heart, spleen, peritoneum, mesentery, and eyes. In addition to compression symptoms, it can also cause inflammation in surrounding tissues.

bubble_chart Clinical Manifestations

Symptoms vary depending on the size of the hydatid cyst (small as a ping-pong ball or large as a basketball), its location, and whether it has ruptured. Small, unruptured cysts may cause no obvious symptoms, while larger ones can lead to compression symptoms, and rupture may result in shock. Common symptoms may include weight loss, weakness, and anemia.

1. Hepatic echinococcosis: Hepatomegaly, epigastric fullness; large cysts may cause compression symptoms in surrounding tissues or secondary infections leading to liver abscess. A painless cystic mass may be palpable in the liver region. Liver function is usually normal.
2. Pulmonary echinococcosis: Often presents with symptoms such as dry cough and hemoptysis. Lesions mostly occur in the right lung, particularly in the lower lobe.
3. Cerebral echinococcosis: Rare, but more common in children, usually located in the parietal lobe, primarily manifesting as epileptic seizures and increased intracranial pressure.

bubble_chart Auxiliary Examination

1. Peripheral blood may show anemia, and eosinophils may increase to grade I.
2. Intradermal test or complement fixation test may be positive.
3. Liver echinococcosis can be examined by ultrasound.
4. Pulmonary echinococcosis or bone echinococcosis can be examined by X-ray.
5. Brain echinococcosis requires EEG and cranial CT examination.

bubble_chart Treatment Measures

1. Surgical treatment: Mainly involves surgical intervention. During the procedure, the cystic fluid is first aspirated (to prevent fluid leakage, which may cause anaphylactic shock). Then, a 10% formaldehyde solution is injected and left for 5–10 minutes to kill the hydatid cysts. The cyst cavity is then incised, the daughter cysts are completely removed, and the inner cyst wall is excised.
2. Drug treatment: For cases located in the brain or multilocular cystic types where surgery is difficult to perform, or for recurrent cases after surgery, oral administration of mebendazole may be used. Adults should take 200mg 2–3 times daily, while the dosage for children should be adjusted accordingly.

bubble_chart Prevention

1. Children in endemic areas should avoid close contact with dogs.
2. Thoroughly handle sick dogs, and the carcasses of infected livestock (such as cattle, sheep, dogs, etc.) should be buried deeply or incinerated. Do not feed dogs with sick cattle or mutton.
3. Pay attention to food hygiene and avoid eating raw vegetables or raw meat.