Terminology Used for Hydatid Disease: Parasitological and Surgical Aspects
摘要
Echinococcosis is a parasitic disease caused by the Echinococcus species parasite and results in a spectrum of human diseases. Though known to be an endemic disease in some regions in the world, it is steadily diagnosed and managed in almost all healthcare levels worldwide. The characterization of the clinical diseases resulting from human infestation by the Echinococcus species is quiet variable owing to different and heterogenous nomenclature used in the relevant literature. In the last decade, there has been increasing local and international efforts to standardize the parasitic nomenclature used in this domain so as to unify and augment the research topics as regards to Echinococcosis, especially in this well-appreciated era of increasing disease burden worldwide. The liver is the most commonly affected organ by this parasite, and hence hepatic Echinococcosis literature showed a major part of this heterogenous terminology, either in the description of the clinical entity or the management approach. Moreover, the liver itself from a surgical anatomical standpoint has witnessed an evolution of its surgical description, and resectional approaches. So, hepatic Echinococcosis as a stand-alone surgical entity has become an interesting and clinically relevant area of research and insight. Most recently, the revolution of minimally invasive hepatic surgery has enriched the management of all hepatic diseases, including hepatic Echinococcosis. In this chapter, we focus on and merge together the most recent parasitic terminology and clinical/surgical nomenclature as regards hepatic Echinococcosis, aiming at guiding clinicians and surgeons to better manage their patients and pursuing research with standard outlines.