Hydatid disease in childhood: revisited report of an interesting case

Clinical presentation and outcome of children with hydatid disease: a retrospective cross-sectional study from a tertiary care hospital in eastern India

Clinical presentation of echinococcosis in paediatric population is varied and depends on the site of involvement. The present study was planned to analyse the clinical presentations and therapeutic options for management of echinococcosis in children admitted to a tertiary care hospital. Medical records of children with echinococcosis was reviewed retrospectively over a period of 3 year and 6 months. Demographic data, clinical presentation, management and outcome data were collected and analysed. During the study period, 14 children with hydatid disease were admitted to the hospital. The frequency was higher in male (71.4%) compared to females (28.6%). Liver was found to be the commonest site for hydatid cyst with 78% of all cases had hydatid cyst localised to liver. In half of all cases liver was the only site of involvement. Both liver and lung were involved in 21.4% cases and one patient (7.1%) had pelvic hydatid cyst in addition to liver involvement. Two patients (14.3%) had only pulmonary involvement and one (7.1%) patient had a hydatid cyst in common bile duct. Right upper abdominal pain was the most common presentation (78.5%) with cyst in liver. Cough, breathing difficulty, jaundice was observed in 28.5%, 21.4% and 7.1% of all patients respectively. All children were managed with a combination of surgical and medical therapy. Right upper abdominal pain and chronic cough were the common clinical presentation of hydatid cyst with hepatic and pulmonary involvement respectively. Presence of such chronic symptoms would raise the clinical suspicion of hydatid disease in endemic regions.

Rapid Growth of Hydatid Cyst: A Pediatric Case Report

Hydatid disease is a parasitic infection caused by Echinococcus granulosus with worldwide distribution. The most affected organs are liver and lungs, but it can be detected in any other organs as well. We reported a 5-yr-old boy from Shiraz, southern Iran in 2017 who presented with abdominal discomfort. Imaging revealed multiple liver hydatid cyst and a huge kidney hydatid cyst. This case showed the possible implication of rapid growth of multiple hydatid cyst as well as unusual organ presentation in the pediatric population.

Multiple Giant Liver Cysts in a Nepalese Lad

Background

While evaluating a child with multicystic liver pathology, both the congenital and acquired etiologies need to be considered. While typicality of findings on abdominal imaging makes the diagnosis of cystic echinococcosis relatively easy, choosing the appropriate line of management is equally crucial. Case Presentation. An 8-year-old previously healthy lad presented to the office with progressive upper abdominal fullness and pain for a year. Blood workup was normal. CT imaging made a diagnosis of multicystic giant hepatic hydatidosis. Treatment consisting of oral albendazole combined with surgical excision resulted in a fruitful outcome. To the best of our knowledge, this probably represents the first case of multiple giant hepatic hydatidosis at such a young age being reported from Nepal.

Conclusion

Childhood liver cysts are uncommon. Considering the endemicity, echinococcal etiology needs consideration. Surgical ablation is required for large cysts, and the mode of management is dictated by the size and location.

Epidemiology, burden, and geographical distribution of cystic echinococcosis in Central Iran

Background and Aim: Human cystic echinococcosis (CE) is an important, neglected zoonotic disease with worldwide distribution which has been reported in different regions of Iran, including the central areas (e.g. Qom Province). The disease is caused by the Echinococcus granulosus parasite living in the intestine of dogs and other canids as definitive hosts. This study aimed to investigate the epidemiology, burden, and geographical distribution of CE in Qom Province, Central Iran. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive-analytic study, the data of patients with diagnosed CE during 2011-2018 were collected from all urban and rural areas of Qom Province. The data of the epidemiological status of CE cases were extracted from the CE surveillance system in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the Qom University of Medical Sciences which is owned and run by Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education. In addition, the economic burden of the disease was evaluated by Azarakhsh and Roozamad financial software; the geographical distribution of CE was obtained by ArcGIS 10.3 software (IBM Corp., Chicago, USA). Results: The results reveal that the incidence rate of CE was 6.81/100,000 people over the 8-year period of the study. More than half of the cases were females (57.95%), housewives (57.47%), and residents (89.77%). The majority of the cases were Iranian (88.77%) and the rest were from the two neighboring countries: Afghanistan and Pakistan. The economic burden of the human CE in the 8 years was estimated to be 3,761,352,526 rials (75,227 $). In terms of spatial distribution, the highest incidence rate of CE was observed in Salafchegan District in the southwest of Qom Province. Conclusion: The economic burden of human CE infection provided by governmental health-care systems or as out-of-pocket expenses is relatively high, and housewives, especially those living in Salafchegan District, are more likely to be affected. More studies are recommended on different epidemiological aspects and the definitive hosts of the parasite; besides, people at risk need to be warned and educated so that the incidence rate of the disease is reduced.

The pattern of cystic echinococcosis in children in an endemic area in Morocco

Cystic echinococcosis is a parasitic infection of major public health concern. The infection is generally acquired during childhood and the disease incubation period can last many years. The occurrence and characteristics of the disease in children were not well studied. The present study aimed to explore the pattern and features of cystic echinococcosis in children in rural and urban environments in Morocco. A total of 338 children diagnosed and treated for cystic echinococcosis were investigated. The trend of the infection, risk and exposure factors and the distribution of the anatomic locations of cysts were studied. A non-uniform decrease in proportions of infected children was found. Children from rural environs had significantly higher infection rates than children from urban environs (p < 0.001). Males were significantly more infected than females. Children aged 7-11 years were the most affected. For cysts locations, single organ involvement was found in 94.4% of the children versus 5.6% with multi-organ localization. Despite control program, active transmission of echinococcosis still occurred in children and remains a major public health problem. The infection in younger population may have some features that need to be considered in the prevention and control programs in endemic areas.

Should Pediatricians Be Aware of Cystic Echinococcosis? A Literature Review

Among parasitic hepatic cystic lesions, the most common disease is represented by cystic echinococcosis (CE), especially in high endemic countries. European epidemiology of CE in children is difficult to assess because of under-reporting but is increasing, because of high immigration flows from endemic countries and an increased awareness. Hydatidosis can be localized in every part of the body. The liver and lungs are the most common localizations in both children and adults. Multiorgan involvement is rarely reported in children. Different tests are available. Usually the sensitivity of serological screening tests is variable, ranging between 60% and 90%. The immunoblot assay is used as a confirmatory test because of its higher sensitivity and specificity. Radiological tests are the criterion standard for diagnosis of CE, with an ultrasound accuracy of approximately 90%. In case of inactive and uncomplicated cysts the watch-and-wait approach is recommended. Albendazole, currently used for 3 to 6 months consecutively represents the most commonly used drug in children even if there is limited experience in treating children younger than 6 years of age. Percutaneous treatment with the puncture, aspiration, injection, and reaspiration technique is a minimally invasive procedure. Surgery is indicated based on cyst characteristics in case of big cysts with multiple daughter cysts, single superficial cysts at risk of spontaneous or traumatic rupture, cysts related with the biliary tract in which the percutaneous treatment is contraindicated, and cysts compressing related structures.

Surgical treatment of multiple hydatid cysts in the liver of a pediatric patient

Multiple hydatid cysts in the liver rarely occur in the pediatric population. Here, we present the case of a 16-year-old girl who presented with six hydatid cysts in the liver. The cysts were surgically removed and all found to be infertile. Interestingly, the patient had post-operative eosinophilia. From this experience, we conclude that individualized treatment is necessary for patients with multiple hydatid cysts.

Coexistent axillary hydatid disease and tuberculosis: Case report of an extremely rare occurrence

Tuberculous infection is highly prevalent in India, however, hydatid disease is relatively uncommon. Frequent sites of predilection of hydatid disease are the liver and lungs. Other unusual sites of infliction are the peritoneum, thyroid, breast, pancreas, and mediastinum. Hydatid disease in the axilla is quite uncommon. We hereby report a case of coexistent axillary hydatid disease with tuberculous lymphadenitis. To the best of our knowledge, even after extensive search of the literature we did not come across any such case. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is a cost-effective procedure performed on an outpatient basis and helped clinch a prompt diagnosis, with minimum discomfort or complications. The role of FNAC in early diagnosis cannot be overemphasized.