Scholarlink

Background <p>Echinococcosis is a&#xa0;tapeworm larval infection with two disease entities that fundamentally differ in terms of epidemiology and clinical management. Cystic echinococcosis (CE, dog tapeworm, <i>Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato</i>) is always imported into Germany, while alveolar echinococcosis (AE, fox tapeworm, <i>Echinococcus multilocularis</i>) is endemic in this country. Liver involvement is common but pulmonary manifestations are also possible, particularly in the case of CE.</p> Aim of the study <p>The epidemiology, clinical features, diagnostics and treatment of pulmonary echinococcosis are presented, focusing on clinically relevant differences between CE and AE.</p> Material and methods <p>A narrative search was carried out in PubMed (up to June 2025), supplemented by guidelines, national reporting data and expert clinical experience. A selection of relevant original papers, reviews and registry studies is presented.</p> Results <p>Pulmonary echinococcosis is nearly always CE. Pulmonary AE is rare and almost always secondary to advanced liver involvement. The diagnosis is based on imaging and two-stage serology. The CE cysts grow expansively, can rupture and appear on computed tomography (CT) as solitary, hypodense cavities with clearly recognizable walls. The AE presents with multiple, irregularly margined, metastasis-like focal lesions. The CE is primarily treated with curative surgery followed by short-term treatment with benzimidazoles, whereas AE usually requires long-term benzimidazole treatment as curative resection is not possible in most cases.</p> Discussion <p>Increasing migration (in the case of CE) and growing fox populations (in AE) suggest that case numbers will rise. Therefore, the diseases should be considered in the differential diagnosis of unclear pulmonary lesions, especially in patients with appropriate sociodemographic characteristics.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Pulmonale Echinokokkose

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年10月6日

查看全文
  • Anna-Lena Allgäuer,
  • Beate Grüner

摘要

Background

Echinococcosis is a tapeworm larval infection with two disease entities that fundamentally differ in terms of epidemiology and clinical management. Cystic echinococcosis (CE, dog tapeworm, Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato) is always imported into Germany, while alveolar echinococcosis (AE, fox tapeworm, Echinococcus multilocularis) is endemic in this country. Liver involvement is common but pulmonary manifestations are also possible, particularly in the case of CE.

Aim of the study

The epidemiology, clinical features, diagnostics and treatment of pulmonary echinococcosis are presented, focusing on clinically relevant differences between CE and AE.

Material and methods

A narrative search was carried out in PubMed (up to June 2025), supplemented by guidelines, national reporting data and expert clinical experience. A selection of relevant original papers, reviews and registry studies is presented.

Results

Pulmonary echinococcosis is nearly always CE. Pulmonary AE is rare and almost always secondary to advanced liver involvement. The diagnosis is based on imaging and two-stage serology. The CE cysts grow expansively, can rupture and appear on computed tomography (CT) as solitary, hypodense cavities with clearly recognizable walls. The AE presents with multiple, irregularly margined, metastasis-like focal lesions. The CE is primarily treated with curative surgery followed by short-term treatment with benzimidazoles, whereas AE usually requires long-term benzimidazole treatment as curative resection is not possible in most cases.

Discussion

Increasing migration (in the case of CE) and growing fox populations (in AE) suggest that case numbers will rise. Therefore, the diseases should be considered in the differential diagnosis of unclear pulmonary lesions, especially in patients with appropriate sociodemographic characteristics.