Cyctic Echinococcosis Mimicking Tuberculosis in Childhood

Abstract

Both cystic echinococcosis (CE) and tuberculosis (Tbc) are important health problems in developing countries. Pulmonary CE and Tbc have to be differentiated from other diseases as they have increased the risk of morbidity and mortality. Besides, these two diseases can mimic each other. Here, we discuss a 7 year-old patient admitted with fever, cough who was unresponsive to nonspecific antibiotic treatment given for pneumonia, had Tbc treatment due to a positive tuberculin skin test and radiologic appearance consistent with Tbc and on follow-up. He was eventually diagnosed as CE based on a cystic lesion consistent with CE in the liver and echinococcosis specific IgE positivity and was succesfully treated with anti-parasitic therapy.