Kolligs F T, Gerbes A L, Dürr E M, Schauer R, Kessler M, Jelinek T, Löscher T, Bilzer M
Medizinische Klinik II, Klinikum Grosshadern, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München.
Internist (Berl). 2003 Jun;44(6):740-5. doi: 10.1007/s00108-003-0862-3.
We report the case of a 52-years-old male patient, who was diagnosed with subcutaneous alveolar echinococcosis 6 months after liver transplantation for HCV-related cirrhosis. Nether the explanted nor the transplantated liver revealed an echinococcus focus. Therefore a rare primary extrahepatic manifestation was likely. Interestingly, the echinococcal larvae had developed protoscolices. The development of mature tapeworms in human is a rarity, which could be related to the immunosuppressive therapy after liver transplantation. The patient was curatively treated by surgical removal of the subcutaneous tumor and a postoperative therapy with albendazole. Furthermore, HCV reinfection (genotype 2b) was successfully treated with interferone alpha 2b and ribavirine for 6 months.