Klin Farmakol Farm. 2017;31(1):19-21 | DOI: 10.36290/far.2017.005

Alveolar echinococcosis – life-threatening disease

Petr Husa ml.^{1, 2}, Matúš Mihalčin^{1, 2}, Petr Husa^{1, 2}

Klinika infekčních chorob Fakultní nemocnice Brno; 1

Lékařská fakulta Masarykovy univerzity, Brno; 2

Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is serious parasitic disease imitating malignant tumors with its appearance and growth. AE is caused by small tapeworm called Echinococcus multilocularis (EM) with is living in gastrointestinal tract of carnivores. Early diagnostic and radical surgical excision in combination with long-term chemotherapy may completely eradicate the parasites and cure the patient. Untreated disease has mortality rate more than 90 % within 10–15 years. Echinococcosis is very rare disease in the Czech Republic. Only few cases are diagnosed each year. However with increasing distribution and prevalence of EM in European population of foxes, the number of human cases will probably rise in the coming years.

Keywords: alveolar echinococcosis, Echinococcus multilocularis, alveococcosis, albendazol, mebendazol.

Published: May 1, 2017  Show citation