CEREBRAL CYSTIC ECHINOCOCCOSIS AMONG CHILDREN IN QINGHAI, CHINA: A CASE SERIES

摘要

Cerebral echinococcosis can cause serious morbidity and mortality in humans. We report here a case series of 6 children with cerebral cystic echinococcosis in Qinghai, China. All the subjects gave a history of exposure to cows, sheep or dogs. Three children presented with limb weakness or unstable gait, 2 had headaches, and 1 had spasticity. Five cases had hepatic echinococcosis and 1 had pulmonary echinococcosis. On cerebral CT scan, all cases had a single, cystic cerebral lesion without surrounding edema. MRI scans showed thin walled, smooth cysts without edema. All the subjects had surgical excision of the cysts. The removed cysts were examined pathologically and determined to be Echinococcus granulosus cysts. All the subjects survived and were improving at the time of hospital discharge. Each subject was recommended to have albendazole treatment. Our results suggest when a child from a high-risk area has exposure risk and presents with focal neurological symptoms, cerebral echinococcosis should be in the differential diagnosis.