Echinococcosis mimicking liver malignancy: A case report
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Updated: Mar 2, 2026
Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Biliary Drainage: Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Hepaticogastrostomy in Malignant Biliary Obstruction
Published on: March 25, 2022
Radek Pohnan1, Miroslav Ryska1, Vladislav Hytych2
1Department of Surgery, Central Military Hospital - Faculty Military Hospital, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
Introduction:
Human Alveolar Echinococcosis - Alveolar Hydatid disease (AE) is an omitted zoonotic infection presenting with focal liver lesions. Cause of AE is a larval stage of Echinococcus multilocularis tapeworms.
Case Presentation:
In this report an extraordinary case of a 38 year-old female examined due to 2 liver tumors and 2 pulmonary nodules is described. The patient underwent pulmonary and liver surgery for suspected advanced cholangiocellular carcinoma and surprisingly AE was found.
Discussion:
Distinguishing intrahepatic AE from other focal liver lesion can be complicated and in many cases is diagnosed incorrectly as intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma or other liver malignancy.
Conclusion:
AE is a rare but potentially fatal parasitic infection primarily affecting liver, although it can metastasise to lung, brain and other organs. The diagnosis and treatment can be difficult and clinical misinterpretation as malignancy is not rare. The principal treatment of AE is surgery accompanied with chemotherapy.
