Renal echinococcosis; the parasite, host immune response, diagnosis and management

Renal echinococcosis is a rare parasite-caused disease of humans and animals; it makes up about 4% of confirmed cases of cystic echinococcosis. It is a zoonotic disease that occurs in the intermediate hosts harboring the larval stage, the hydatid cyst, of Echinococcus spp. The renal involvement is often asymptomatic or with unspecific signs. Its diagnosis is mostly based on imaging technique. Immunodiagnostic tests are not applicable. Furthermore, because the disease is not common, our knowledge about its different aspects is scarce. In this review, the parasite, host immune response, diagnosis, and management of renal echinococcosis are described.