Hydatid Disease: Current Status and Recent Advances

Abstract

Hydatid disease, also known as echinococcosis or hydatidosis, is caused by infection with larva (metacestode) of the tapeworms of the genus Echinococcus. Within the genus Echinococcus, four species are recognized: E. granulosus which causes cystic hydatid disease; E. multilocularis which causes alveolar hydatid disease; E. vogeli and E. oligarthrus both of which cause polycystic hydatid disease (Table 1).1,2 Hydatid disease is a public health problem in Asia, the Mediterranean, South America and Africa. With immigration, the prevalence of the disease has increased in Europe and North America in recent years.3-8 There has been considerable recent progress in the diagnosis and surgical treatment of hydatid disease.2,9,10 Drug therapy and percutaneous aspiration have been successfully used to treat hydatid disease, and long-term results have been encouraging. In view of the above, clinicians need to be aware of the prevalence of hydatid disease and the recent advances on its treatment.