Cystisk ekinokockos. Importerad allvarlig parasitsjukdom
Sammanfattning
Echinococcus granulosus-infection or hydatid disease is an imported parasitic disease in Sweden. The disease is quite common among immigrants from Turkey and Iraq and an increasing number of patients have been diagnosed in Sweden in recent years. It is usually transmitted from dogs to humans. Clinically it is characterized by slowly growing cysts mainly in the liver. Other organs, especially the lungs, may be affected. The cysts are often asymptomatic but can attain a considerable size and cause severe symptoms. Symptomatic echinoccal cysts should be removed surgically. Medical treatment with albendazol is moderately effective but prevents the dissemination of the disease during surgery and reduces the risk for local recurrence. Optimal management requires a multidisciplinary team with specialists in infectious diseases, liver surgery and radiology. Based on two patients treated at the Karolinska University Hospital the article gives a clinical review of human E. granulosus infection.