A case of human hepatic alveolar echinococcosis accompanied by lung and brain metastases

Abstract

Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is considered as a fatal zoonosis caused by the larvae of Echinococcus multilocu-laris. The lungs and brain are the most common metastatic organs. We report a human case of hepatic alveolar echino-coccosis accompanied by lung and brain metastasis. In particular, the patient had a history of tuberculosis and the lung lesions were easily misdiagnosed as lung abscesses. The lesions of liver and lung underwent radical resection and con-firmed as alveolar echinococcosis by pathological examination. The patient had no surgical complications after operation and was discharged after symptomatic treatment. Unfortunately, the patient later developed multiple intracerebral AE me-tastases. We required the patient to take albendazole orally for life and follow up.