Computed tomography (A) and magnetic resonance (B) images of the liver of a 72-year-old man from French Guiana with polycystic<unk>  affecting the left side of the liver. White arrows indicate the multicystic liver lesion. Indirect hemagglutination assay for human<unk> . Different serum samples diluted from the left to the right. Seropositivity was suspected in Sample 179 Classification The most common form found in humans is cystic<unk>  (also known as unilocular<unk> , which is caused by Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato. The second most common form is alveolar<unk>  (also known as alveolar colloid of the liver, alveolar hydatid disease, alveolococcosis, multilocular<unk> , "small fox tapeworm"), which is caused by Echinococcus multilocularis and the third is polycystic<unk>  (also known as human polycystic hydatid disease, neotropical<unk> , which is caused by Echinococcus vogeli and very rarely, Echinococcus oligarthrus. Alveolar and polycystic<unk>  are rarely diagnosed in humans and are not as widespread as cystic<unk> , but polycystic<unk>  is relatively new on the medical scene and is often left out of conversations dealing with<unk> , and alveolar<unk>  is a serious disease that has not only a significantly high fatality rate, but the potential to become an emerging disease in many countries. Cystic A formal diagnosis of any type of<unk>  requires a combination of tools that involve imaging techniques, histopathology, or nucleic acid detection and serology. For cystic<unk>  diagnosis, imaging is the main method—while serology tests (such as indirect hemogglutination, ELISA (enzyme linked immunosorbent assay), immunoblots or latex agglutination) that use antigens specific for E. granulosus verify the imaging results. The imaging technique of choice for cystic<unk>  is ultrasonography, since it is not only able to visualize the cysts in the body's organs, but it is also inexpensive, non-invasive and gives instant results. In addition to ultrasonography, both MRI and CT scans can and are often used although an MRI is often preferred to CT scans when diagnosing cystic<unk>  since it gives better visualization of liquid areas within the tissue. Alveolar As with cystic<unk> , ultrasonography is the imaging technique of choice for alveolar<unk>  and is usually complemented by CT scans since CT scans are able to detect the largest number of lesions and calcifications that are characteristic of alveolar<unk> . MRIs are also used in combination with ultrasonography though CT scans are preferred. Like cystic<unk> , imaging is the major method used for the diagnosis of alveolar<unk>  while the same types of serologic tests (except now specific for E. multilocularis antigens) are used to verify the imaging results. It is also important to note that serologic tests are more valuable for the diagnosis of alveolar<unk>  than for cystic<unk>  since they tend to be more reliable for alveolar<unk>  since more antigens specific for E. multilocularis are available. In addition to imaging and serology, identification of E. multilocularis infection via PCR or a histological examination of a tissue biopsy from the person is another way to diagnose alveolar<unk> . Polycystic Similar to the diagnosis of alveolar<unk>  and cystic<unk> , the diagnosis of polycystic<unk>  uses imaging techniques, in particular ultrasonography and CT scans, to detect polycystic structures within the person's body. However, imaging is not the preferred method of diagnosis since the method that is currently considered the standard is the isolation of protoscoleces during surgery or after the person's death and the identification of definitive features of E. oligarthrus and E. vogeli in these isolated protoscoleces. This is the main way that PE is diagnosed, but some current studies show that PCR may identify E. oligarthrus and E. vogeli in people's tissues. The only drawback of using PCR to diagnose polycystic<unk>  is that there aren't many genetic sequences that can be used for PCR that are specific only E. oligarthrus or E. vogeli.
Echinococcosis
Cholangiocarcinoma
Cholangiosarcoma
Cryptococcosis
Alveolar hydatid disease
Liver angiosarcoma
Amoebic liver abscess
Hepatocellular carcinoma