Removal of cysts (here, from a definitive host, a cat) Cysts in a cotton rat Micrograph showing the characteristic laminated cyst wall.H&E stain. In the human manifestation of the disease, E. granulosus, E. multilocularis, E. oligarthrus and E. vogeli are localized in the liver (in 75% of cases), the lungs (in 5–15% of cases) and other organs in the body such as the spleen, brain, heart, and kidneys (in 10–20% of cases). In people who are infected with E. granulosus and therefore have cystic<unk> , the disease develops as a slow-growing mass in the body. These slow-growing masses, often called cysts, are also found in people that are infected with alveolar and polycystic<unk> . The cysts found in those with cystic<unk>  are usually filled with a clear fluid called hydatid fluid, are spherical, and typically consist of one compartment and are usually only found in one area of the body. While the cysts found in those with alveolar and polycystic<unk>  are similar to those found in those with cystic<unk> , the alveolar and polycystic<unk>  cysts usually have multiple compartments and have infiltrative as opposed to expansive growth. Depending on the location of the cyst in the body, the person could be asymptomatic even though the cysts have grown to be very large, or be symptomatic even if the cysts are absolutely tiny. If the person is symptomatic, the symptoms will depend largely on where the cysts are located. For instance, if the person has cysts in the lungs and is symptomatic, they will have a cough, shortness of breath and/or pain in the chest. On the other hand, if the person has cysts in the liver and is symptomatic, they will suffer from abdominal pain, abnormal abdominal tenderness, hepatomegaly with an abdominal mass, jaundice, fever and/or anaphylactic reaction. In addition, if the cysts were to rupture while in the body, whether during surgical extraction of the cysts or by trauma to the body, the person would most likely go into anaphylactic shock and suffer from high fever, pruritus (itching), edema (swelling) of the lips and eyelids, dyspnea, stridor and rhinorrhea. Unlike intermediate hosts, definitive hosts are usually not hurt very much by the infection. Sometimes, a lack of certain vitamins and minerals can be caused in the host by the very high demand of the parasite. The incubation period for all species of Echinococcus can be months to years, or even decades. It largely depends on the location of the cyst in the body and how fast the cyst is growing.
Echinococcosis
Cholangiocarcinoma
Cholangiosarcoma
Cryptococcosis
Alveolar hydatid disease
Liver angiosarcoma
Amoebic liver abscess
Hepatocellular carcinoma