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Alveolar Echinococcosis in Children
Emilija Jonaitytė1, Martynas Judickas1, Eglė Tamulevičienė2
1Medical Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, A. Mickevičiaus Str. 7, LT-44307 Kaunas, Lithuania.
Case Reports in Pediatrics
|May 27, 2020
Summary
Alveolar echinococcosis (AE), a rare liver disease in children caused by Echinococcus multilocularis, presents diagnostic and treatment challenges. This study highlights difficulties in managing pediatric AE cases, emphasizing the need for further research.
Area of Science:
- Parasitology
- Pediatric Infectious Diseases
- Zoonotic Diseases
Background:
- Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is a severe zoonotic disease caused by Echinococcus multilocularis.
- AE typically affects the liver and is rarely diagnosed in children, often presenting asymptomatically for extended periods.
Observation:
- This report details two pediatric AE cases and one differentiating AE from cystic echinococcosis (CE), with lesions in the liver and spleen.
- Patients received albendazole chemotherapy due to non-recommendation of surgical treatment.
Findings:
- Follow-up for 10–30 months showed no significant improvement in the pediatric patients.
- The study underscores the challenges in diagnosing and managing AE in children, including rare extrahepatic manifestations.
Implications:
- This case series highlights the difficulties in AE treatment and follow-up in pediatric populations.
- Further research into effective therapeutic strategies for pediatric alveolar echinococcosis is warranted.
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