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Fatal alveolar echinococcosis of the lumbar spine
Aurore Keutgens1, Paolo Simoni, Nancy Detrembleur
1Department of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
Abstract:
For the last 10 years, the southern part of Belgium has been recognized as a low-risk area of endemicity for alveolar echinococcosis. This infection, caused by Echinococcus multilocularis, usually induces a severe liver condition and can sometimes spread to other organs. However, alveolar echinococcosis involving bones has been described only very rarely. Here, a fatal case of spondylodiscitis due to E. multilocularis contracted in southern Belgium is reported.
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