title: Contribution of mass screening system to resectability of hepatic lesions involving Echinococcus multilocularis.
abstract: The prognosis for patients with alveolar echinococcosis of the liver (AEL) is excellent when the lesion is completely resected. Early detection of the disease and subsequent resection of the lesion are thus indispensable; however, the usefulness of screening systems is now controversial. This study was designed to compare screened and non-screened patients according to stage classification and to re-evaluate the effect of screening. We studied a total of 82 patients (63 screened and 19 non-screened). The stage classification showed a significant intergroup difference (P < 0.002). The largest tumors ranged from 30 to 100 mm, and there was a significant intergroup difference (P < 0.0014). Ultrasonography showed even small lesions in the screened patients. The complete resection rate was 74.6% for the screened patients, and 21.1% for the non-screened patients, showing a significant difference (P < 0.0001). The rate of unresectable lesions was higher in the non-screened patients (32%) than in the screened patients (11%), showing a significant difference (P < 0.04). The present screening system contributes to early detection and subsequent resection of AEL, leading to a better outcome.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Surgery, Hokkaido University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Namieno
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Furuya
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Uchino
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Suzuki
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004444:Echinococcosis, Hepatic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D004446:Echinococcus; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014463:Ultrasonography