Alveolar echinococcosis of the liver in children

Alveolar echinococcosis of the liver (AEL) is a zoonosis that is distributed in cold regions of the northern hemisphere. The disease is mostly found in adults and rarely in pediatric patients because it tends to be slow growing.

Ten Japanese pediatric patients (under 15 years old) with AEL have been operated on in Hokkaido University Hospital from January 1936 to June 2008. We examined these children and revealed the characteristics of AEL.

The patients included three males and seven females whose mean age was 10.9 years old, ranging from 7 to 15. The length of follow-up was from 3 months to 33 years (median 19 years). Six cases were picked up by mass screening; nine cases who underwent hepatectomy are still alive and one case whose tumors were unresectable died of liver failure.

Our cases indicate that some AEL pediatric patients advanced rapidly, so early detection is imperative. Thus, screening examinations are essential for children in contaminated areas and, if a liver tumor is found on a screening examination and diagnosed as AEL, complete radical resection should be performed.