Ultrastructure of Human Fertile Hydatid Cysts Using a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM)

Abstract

Introduction: Echinococcosis and hydatidosis caused by the metacestode of Echinococcus granulosus are among the most important zoonotic diseases in the world. This study aims to study the ultrastructure of fertile hydatid cysts that infect humans using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Materials and Methods: Twenty samples of human fertile hydatid cysts were collected from the human liver and lung after performing surgery operations and examined with an SEM. Results: The results of the electron microscopy with different magnifications revealed that the laminated layer (LL) consists of sheets that appeared more compact and aligned. The brood capsules appeared, consisting of a net of finger-shaped structures that emerged from bulges of various sizes and shapes. Conclusion: Under a transmission electron microscope, it was found that the LL had a coherent and flexible structure, settling on a three-dimensional microscopic network of hydrophilic fibers, with high humidity. These fibers were arranged irregularly and had a diameter of about 10 nm; therefore, the fibers adjacent to the germinal layer (GL) were possibly attached to microtriches of tegument, which reached a thickness of 1 mm in the LL.