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Copyright © 2012 Georgios Lianos et al. Georgios Lianos et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Introduction. Hydatid disease is caused by the tapeworm Echinococcus granulosusand is still a matter of public health in many regions of the world, where it is an endemic parasitic disease. Although the liver is the most involved organ, hydatidosis can be found anywhere in the human body. Rare forms of location may lead to diagnostic and therapeutic dilemmas. Case Report. Herein we report a rare case of acute abdominal pain and progressively increasing abdominal distension due to abdominal and multiple splenic echinococcosis in a 72-year-old Caucasian male. We also provide a brief review of the literature. Conclusion. Although hydatid disease is found most often in the liver and lungs, rarely any organ of the body can be involved by this zoonosis. Though rare, the possibility of unusual location of echinococcosis must always be considered by the operating surgeon, when dealing with diffuse abdominal pain in endemic areas, because any misinterpretation may result in unfavorable outcomes.

Details

Title
Hydatid Disease Simulating Acute Abdomen: A Case Report and Brief Review of the Literature
Author
Lianos, Georgios; Baltogiannis, Georgios; Avrilios Lazaros; Vlachos, Konstantinos
Publication year
2012
Publication date
2012
Publisher
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
ISSN
20906528
e-ISSN
20906536
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
1272343836
Copyright
Copyright © 2012 Georgios Lianos et al. Georgios Lianos et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.