Progress of researches on the use of ultrasound in the diagnosis and treatment of hepatic alveolar echinococcosis

Abstract

The patients with hepatic alveolar echinococcosis have unapparent early symptoms due to invasive and slow growth, and the disease is usually at an advanced stage upon diagnosis, which has a poor prognosis. Early diagnosis of hepatic alveolar echinococcosis is therefore of great importance. The advances in the ultrasound techniques continues to improve the accuracy for the diagnosis of hepatic alveolar echinococcosis, and ultrasound plays a critical role in the treatment and assessment of therapeutic efficacy for hepatic alveolar echinococcosis. This paper mainly reviews the application of ultrasound in the diagnosis and treatment of hepatic alveolar echinococcosis.