Sunday, July 6, 2008  Answer to Case 29  Answer: Echinococcus
spp. adult worm. This small adult tapeworm is found in the
intestine of canines - never humans. The eggs are released into
the environment with the feces and normally infect herbivores
such as sheep (E. granulosus) and rodents (E. multilocularis).
When humans are unfortunate enough to ingest these eggs, they
develop the cystic larval form in the liver and other organs.
The larval stage is referred to hydatid disease and can be life-
threatening since the cysts can attain large sizes, impinge on
neighboring structures, and even rupture, releasing large
amounts of anaphylaxis-inducing antigens.  Thank you to Alasdair
who wrote in from The Gambia to answer this week's case! (Now
that's dedication).  No comments: