Table 3. Treatment and management of echinococcosis.

Type of echinococcosis: This refers to the specific kind of echinococcosis infection, which can be cystic (further classified by size and complexity) or alveolar, and a less common type, polycystic.

Treatment options: This outlines the different medical approaches used to treat each type of echinococcosis.

Description: This provides a brief explanation of each treatment option, including its effectiveness and potential downsides.

PAIR: Puncture-Aspiration-Injection-Reaspiration; PTA: Percutaneous Thermal Ablation

Table References: [4,9,13,16,25,27,28,30]

The table was created by Nitesh Badwaik.

Type of Echinococcosis	Treatment Options	Description
Cystic (smaller, simpler cysts)	Albendazole therapy (with or without praziquantel)	Medication for 1-4 months; effective for cysts < 5 cm; 30% cure rate
Cystic (larger, complex cysts)	Surgery (laparoscopic or open)	Total cystopericystectomy preferred; high cure rate, low complication rate
Cystic (alternative to surgery)	PAIR (puncture-aspiration-injection-reaspiration)	Minimally invasive procedure; combined with albendazole/mebendazole medication
Cystic (under research)	Percutaneous thermal ablation (PTA)	Uses radiofrequency to destroy cyst; new treatment, more research needed
Alveolar	Surgery (cyst ectomy) + chemotherapy (albendazole/mebendazole)	Surgery followed by up to 2 years medication
Alveolar (inoperable cases)	Chemotherapy only (albendazole or mebendazole)	Long-term treatment (over 6 months)
Alveolar (under research)	Liver transplant	High-risk procedure, frequent re-infection
Polycystic	Chemotherapy (albendazole or mebendazole)	Albendazole preferred; surgery only if ineffective