Echinococcosis Hydatid Cyst Medication

  • Author: Enrico Brunetti, MD; Chief Editor: Burke A Cunha, MD   more...
 
Updated: Oct 19, 2011
 

Medication Summary

Albendazole and mebendazole are the only anthelmintics effective against cystic echinococcosis. Albendazole is the drug of choice against this disease because its degree of systemic absorption and penetration into hydatid cysts is superior to that of mebendazole. Albendazole in combination with percutaneous aspiration or PAIR therapy can lead to a reduction in cyst size, and, in one study, it improved efficacy over albendazole alone against hepatic hydatid cysts.[33] When surgery cannot be avoided, presurgical use of albendazole in echinococcus infestations reduced risk of recurrence and/or facilitated surgery by reducing intracystic pressure.

Treatment of echinococcosis for patients weighing more than 60 kg is albendazole administered PO with meals in a dose of 400 mg twice daily for 28 days. A dose of 15 mg/kg of body weight daily in 2 divided doses (not to exceed total daily dose of 800 mg) has been suggested for patients weighing less than 60 kg. For cystic echinococcosis, the 28-day course may be repeated after 14 days without treatment to a total of 3 treatment cycles.

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Anthelmintics

Class Summary

Parasite biochemical pathways are sufficiently different from the human host to allow selective interference by chemotherapeutic agents in relatively small doses.

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Albendazole (Albenza)

 

Decreases ATP production in worm, causing energy depletion, immobilization, and, finally, death. To avoid inflammatory response in CNS, patient must also take anticonvulsants and high-dose glucocorticoids.

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Mebendazole (Vermox)

 

Causes worm death by selectively and irreversibly blocking uptake of glucose and other nutrients in susceptible adult intestine where helminths dwell.

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Contributor Information and Disclosures
Author

Enrico Brunetti, MD  Assistant Professor, Department of Infectious Diseases, Division of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, University of Pavia, Italy; Staff Physician, Department of Infectious Diseases, IRCCS S Matteo Hospital Foundation, Pavia, Italy

Enrico Brunetti, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene and European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Carlo Filice, MD  Chief of Ultrasound Unit, Associate Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, IRCCS S Matteo Hospital, University of Pavia, Italy

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Specialty Editor Board

Mark R Wallace, MD, FACP, FIDSA  Clinical Professor of Medicine, Florida State University College of Medicine; Head of Infectious Disease Fellowship Program, Orlando Regional Medical Center

Mark R Wallace, MD, FACP, FIDSA is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Physicians, American Medical Association, American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, and Infectious Diseases Society of America

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD  Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy; Editor-in-Chief, Medscape Drug Reference

Disclosure: Medscape Salary Employment

John W King, MD  Professor of Medicine, Chief, Section of Infectious Diseases, Director, Viral Therapeutics Clinics for Hepatitis, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center; Consultant in Infectious Diseases, Overton Brooks Veterans Affairs Medical Center

John W King, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Association for the Advancement of Science, American College of Physicians, American Federation for Medical Research, American Society for Microbiology, Association of Subspecialty Professors, Infectious Diseases Society of America, and Sigma Xi

Disclosure: emedicine $50.00 Author of chapter; MERCK None Other

Eleftherios Mylonakis, MD  Clinical and Research Fellow, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital

Eleftherios Mylonakis, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Association for the Advancement of Science, American College of Physicians, American Society for Microbiology, and Infectious Diseases Society of America

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Burke A Cunha, MD  Professor of Medicine, State University of New York School of Medicine at Stony Brook; Chief, Infectious Disease Division, Winthrop-University Hospital

Burke A Cunha, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Chest Physicians, American College of Physicians, and Infectious Diseases Society of America

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

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WHO Informal Working Group on Echinococcosis standardized ultrasound classification of echinococcal cysts. Image courtesy of World Health Organization (WHO).
CE1 cyst in the right segments of the liver in a young Albanian boy
CE3a echinococcal cyst of the liver. Note the folding endocyst ("waterlily sign") typical of CE3a cysts.
CE3b cyst in the right lobe of the liver. The cyst is predominantly solid with a few daughter cysts
CE4 cyst in the liver. The cyst is completely solid and inactive.
CE3b cyst in the muscles of posterior thigh (scanned with a convex ultrasound probe).
CE4 cysts in the peritoneum in a patient with disseminated echinococcosis (longitudinal scan).
Viable scolices (note rostellar hooklets).
CT scan of peritoneal, disseminated echinococcosis
MR scan of echinococcal cyst in the right psoas muscle, infiltrating the adjacent vertebral body
Ultrasound scan of a CE3b subcutaneous cyst located in the lumbar area. The cyst was the subcutaneous extension of a cyst located in the spine that had been previously operated on.
MR of the spine showing CE involvement of CE3,CE4,CE5 vertebral bodies, spinous processes and subcutaneous tissue (same patient as # )
CT scan showing CE infiltration of vertebral bodies and destruction of left peduncles
 
 
 
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