MEDLINEplus Health Information: Return to home page   A service of the National Library of Medicine: Go to NLM home page
Search     Advanced Search    Site Map    About MEDLINEplus    Home
Health Topics: conditions, diseases and wellness Drug Information: generic and brand name drugs Dictionaries: spellings and definitions of medical terms Directories: doctors, dentists and hospitals Other Resources: organizations, libraries, publications, MEDLINE

Medical Encyclopedia

Disease     Injury     Nutrition     Poison     Special     Surgery     Symptoms     Tests

Antibodies
Liver echinococcus - CT scan
 
Overview   Symptoms   Treatment   Prevention   

Echinococcus

Alternative names:

hydatid disease; hydatidosis

Definition:

A tissue infection caused by the larval stage of the Echinococcus granulosus worm.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

The disease is common in southern South America, the Mediterranean, the Middle East, central Asia, and Africa. In the U.S., the disease has been reported in the lower Mississippi valley, Alaska, and northwestern Canada. Humans become infected when they swallow eggs passed in dog feces. The infection is carried to the liver where cysts form. Some cysts form in the lung. Infrequently cysts form in the brain, bones, skeletal muscles, kidney, spleen, or other tissues. A liver cyst may produce no symptoms for 10 to 20 years until it is large enough to be felt by physical examination or to produce symptoms. Risk factors include exposure to cattle, sheep, pigs, deer, or exposure to the feces of dogs, wolves, or coyotes. The incidence is 1 out of 100,000 people.


Adam

The information provided herein should not be used for diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Copyright 2000 adam.com, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.

Health Topics | Drug Information | Dictionaries | Directories | Other Resources