Alveolar echinococcosis of the right adrenal gland: a case report and review of the literature. (December 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Spahn, Silke; Helmchen, Birgit; Zingg, Urs
• Is Part Of: Journal of medical case reports. Volume 10:Number 1(2016)
• Page Start: 1
• Page End: 5
• Publication Date: 2016-12
• Subjects: Alveolar echinococcosis -- Multilocular echinococcosis -- Adrenal gland -- Incidentaloma -- Cystic lesions; Medicine -- Research -- Periodicals; Medicine -- Case studies -- Periodicals; 610.5
• DOI: 10.1186/s13256-016-1115-0
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1752-1947

Abstract

Abstract Background Extrahepatic manifestations ofEchinococcus multilocularis are very rare, especially in the adrenal glands. To the best of our knowledge, only seven cases of adrenal alveolar echinococcosis have been reported, all from the Far East. All of these occurred exclusively in the right adrenal gland. Case presentation We report a rare case of an extrahepatic alveolar echinococcosis in an asymptomatic 78-year-old white man with an incidentaloma of his right adrenal gland. After surgical resection and medical treatment with albendazole no recurrence of the disease appeared at 1-year follow-up. Conclusions As the occurrence ofEchinococcus multilocularis in Europe increases, alveolar echinococcosis should be included in the differential diagnosis of cystic adrenal incidentalomas.