Hydatid disease in acute leukemia: effect of anticancer treatment on echinococcosis.
Echinococcosis, also known as hydatid disease or hydatidosis, is a zoonotic illness caused by the larval form of Echinococcus spp. It is highly prevalent in areas where the parasite is endemic such as the Mediterranean region. However, occurrence of echinococcosis and cancer together is rare. We treated and followed approximately 1200 patients with different hematologic neoplastic diseases between 1985 and 2003, and only one of these individuals had concomitant acute leukemia and liver hydatidosis. This report describes the case of a 19-year-old man who had both primary refractoriness of acute leukemia (AML-M4) and liver hydatidosis. Management is discussed. The patient had cystic echinococcosis (CE) of the liver that was classified as CE1 according to the system established by the World Health Organization's Informal Working Group on Echinococcosis. The patient underwent 3 months of treatment with agents that targeted the leukemia (daunorubicin, idarubicin, cytarabine, fludarabine) and its complications (amphotericin B, amphotericin B lipid complex, liposomal amphotericin B). Throughout this period, the size and the contents of the cyst did not change, Echinococcus titers remained unchanged, and the cyst classification remained CE1.
Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, Uludag University School of Medicine, Uludag University Hospital, Bursa, Turkey. ridvanali@uludag.edu.tr
Ridvan
R
Ali
Fahir
F
Ozkalemkas
Vildan
V
Ozkocaman
Tulay
T
Ozcelik
Halis
H
Akalin
Atilla
A
Ozkan
Yildiz
Y
Altundal
Ahmet
A
Tunali
D000328:Adult; D000666:Amphotericin B / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004444:Echinococcosis, Hepatic / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D015479:Leukemia, Myelomonocytic, Acute / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008099:Liver / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male
D000935:Antifungal Agents; D000666:Amphotericin B