Table 2.
Diagnosis of alveolar echinococcosis (AE) in patients with solid organ transplantation.
| Serology (ND: not done) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ID | Em2+ | Em2 | EgHF | IHA (titers) | Western blota | MRIc |
| 1 | Negative | Negative | Positive | ND | Positive for AEb | Several nodular lesions with T2 hyper signal. Imaging not typical for AE. Serologies were performed due to a high suspicion. |
| 2 | ND | ND | ND | ND | Positive for AEb | Multiple confluent cystic lesions. Imaging not typical for AE. Abscess-like appearance. |
| 3 | Positive | ND | Positive | ND | Positive bands 7 + 26 − 28 | Centimetric hepatic lesion in T2 hypersignal, with several microcysts. |
| 4 | Positive | ND | Positive | Positive (1:640) | Positive bands 7 + 26 − 28 | Lesions atypical for AE. Tumor-like appearance |
| 5 | Negative | ND | Positive | ND | Positive bands 16 + 26 − 28 | MRCP: 2.6 cm lesion of the head of the pancreas in T2 hypersignal. Suspicion of pancreatic cancer |
| Liver MRI: three centimetric lesions with peripheral microcysts | ||||||
| 6 | ND | ND | Positive | Positive (1:320) | Positive bands 7 + 26 − 28 | Liver MRI only showed cysts (patient with ADPKD) |
| 7 | ND | ND | ND | Positive (1:1280) | Positive bands 7 + 26 − 28 | Centimetric T2 lesion with a metastatic appearance |
| 8 | Positive | ND | Positive | Negative (<1:40) | Positive bands 7, 16, 18, 26 − 28 | Voluminous 8.5 cm lesion, with several infra-centimetric peripheral lesions. Tumoral appearance. |
a
Bands at 7 and 26–28 kDa are specific for Echinococcus, bands at 16 and 18 kDa are specific for Echinococcus multilocularis [23].
b
The molecular weights of the positive bands were not reported.
c
Descriptions and conclusion from the radiology reports, when available. MRI: Magnetic Resonance Imaging; MRCP: Magnetic Resonance Chlolangio-Pancreatography. ADPKD: Autosomal Dominant Poly- cystic Kidney Disease.