[Adrenal multilocular echinococcosis: a case report]

A 79-year-old man was consulted to our hospital for further examination of right adrenal tumor shown by computed tomography. Complete blood cell count, biochemical tests, hormonal examinations and urinalysis were normal. 131I-adosterol scintigram showed decreased uptake on the right adrenal. Right adrenalectomy was done in consider to adrenal cancer. By the pathological findings and the serological tests (ELISA, and Western Blot examination), the tumor was diagnosed as an adrenal multilocular echinococcosis. Mainly, Echinococcosis caused by echinococcus granulosus and echinococcus multilocularis. While E. granulosus is endemic in Europe and Mediterranean coast etc., E. multilocularis is endemic in Japan and North America etc. In E. multilocularis, about 98% of the primary cyst are localized in the liver and the cyst are localized in the lung and brain etc, are rare. In Europe, the primary hydatid cyst is found in the adrenal in only 0.05% of the total case. Moreover, adrenal multilocular echinococcosis is extremely rare case, and is not presented yet in the world. By the patient' s residential history, echinococcosis shoud be considered to differential diagnosis of the adrenal tumor in urology.