• Home

Home > Medical Reference > Encyclopedia (English)

Toggle: English / Spanish

Echinococcus

• Overview
• Symptoms
• Treatment
• Prevention

Alternative Names:

Hydatidosis; Hydatid disease, Hydatid cyst disease

Treatment:

Many patients can be successfully treated with albendazole or mebendazole, which must often be used in long courses of up to three months. Another drug, praziquantel, may be helpful in combination with albendazole or mebendazole.

If the cysts are in troublesome locations, the definitive treatment is to remove them surgically if the patient's condition permits the procedure. This can be a complicated type of surgery.

Expectations (prognosis):

The probable outcome is good for people with cysts that respond to oral medication treatment.

Complications:

The cysts may rupture and cause severe illness, including fever, low blood pressure, and shock. In such cases, the cysts may also disperse and cause widespread disease throughout the body.

Calling your health care provider:

Call your health care provider if symptoms suggestive of this disorder develop.

• Review Date: 8/8/2006
• Reviewed By: D. Scott Smith, M.D., MSc, DTM&H, Chief of Infectious Disease & Geographic Medicine, Kaiser Redwood City, CA & Adjunct Assistant Professor, Stanford University. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is the first of its kind, requiring compliance with 53 standards of quality and accountability, verified by independent audit. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial process . A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics (www.hiethics.com) and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 1997-2007 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.