Alveolar echinococcosis of the liver in children

概要

論文の詳細を見る
Background/purpose. Alveolar echinococcosis of the liver (AEL) is a zoonosis that is distributed in cold regions of the northern hemisphere. The disease is mostly found in adults and rarely in pediatric patients because it tends to be slow growing. Patients and methods. Ten Japanese pediatric patients with AEL (under fifteen-year-old) have been operated on in Hokkaido University Hospital from January 1936 to June 2008. We examined these children and revealed the characteristics of AEL. Results. The patients included three males and seven females whose mean age was 10.9 years old, ranging from 7 to 15. The length of follow-up was from 3 months to 33 years (median: 19 years). Six cases were picked up by mass screening and nine cases who underwent hepatectomy are still alive and one case whose tumors were unresectable died of liver failure. Conclusion. Our cases indicate that some AEL pediatric patients advanced rapidly, so early detection is imperative. Thus, screening examinations are essential for children in contaminated areas, and complete radical resection should be performed if a liver tumor is found on a screening examination and diagnosed as AEL.