Alveolar echinococcosis - a rare disease with differential diagnostic problems.

INTRODUCTION

Alveolar echinococcosis is a life-threatening zoonotic parasitic disease. Its incidence is rare. In some cases, the correct and timely diagnosis can be difficult.

CASE REPORT: The authors present the case of a young patient with liver, diaphragm and lung involvement. The suspicion of echinococcus infection was made on the basis of medical history, clinical symptoms, and a combination of ultrasonography, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging tests and serological methods. The patient underwent multimodal treatment with albendazole and en-bloc resection of the liver, lung and diaphragm. The definitive diagnosis of alveolar echinococcosis was determined from samples of the resected tissues using histopathology and polymerase chain reaction methods. The patient has been followed regularly and is on life-long treatment with albendazole.

CONCLUSION

The precise diagnosis and multimodal therapy of alveolar echinococcosis is fundamental from the point of view of patient long-term survival.

KEY WORDS: alveolar echinococcosis - diagnosis - multimodal treatment - follow-up.