Diagnosis and treatment of cardiac echinococcosis

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Item Type:	Review
Title:	Diagnosis and treatment of cardiac echinococcosis
Creators Name:	Kahlfuss, S., Flieger, R.R., Roepke, T.K. and Yilmaz, K.
Abstract:	Cardiac echinococcosis is a rare manifestation of cystic echinococcosis (CE) caused by the tapeworm Echinococcus granulosus Among all patients suffering from CE, only 0.5%-2% exhibit a cardiac involvement. In addition, during the past years the number of CE cases reported in Western Europe remained roughly unchanged. However, we postulate that cases of CE in Western Europe will increase due to a growing number of refugees coming from endemic areas such as Southern Europe, Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Importantly, although cardiac echinococcosis is rare the disease can lead to many clinical complications, for instance acute heart failure and life-threatening arrhythmias. With respect to the increasing relevance of cardiac echinococcosis in Western Europe and the danger of fulminant disease courses, here we review diagnosis strategies and treatment options of the disease. Diagnosis of cardiac echinococcosis requires a detailed evaluation of the patients' case history, specific laboratory analyses and radiological imaging methods. Ultrasound, MRI and CT are key imaging tools for diagnosis, therapy control, prognosis estimation and disease course control. For the therapy of cardiac echinococcosis, a combination of surgical removal and drug treatment should be applied to symptomatic as well as asymptomatic patients. The complete surgical removal of the cyst(s) is the major prognosis factor of the cardiac manifestation of CE.
Keywords:	Anticestodal Agents, Cardiac Surgical Procedures, Combined Modality Therapy, Echinococcosis, Echinococcus granulosus, Heart Diseases, Treatment Outcome, Animals
Source:	Heart
ISSN:	1355-6037
Publisher:	BMJ Publishing Group
Volume:	102
Number:	17
Page Range:	1348-1353
Date:	September 2016
Official Publication:	https://doi.org/10.1136/heartjnl-2016-309350
PubMed:	View item in PubMed

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