Mihai Cristina Maria, Lupu Ancuta, Chisnoiu Tatiana, Balasa Adriana Luminita, Baciu Ginel, Lupu Vasile Valeriu, Popovici Violeta, Suciu Felicia, Enache Florin-Daniel, Cambrea Simona Claudia, Stoicescu Ramona Mihaela
Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of General Medicine, "Ovidius" University of Constanta, 900470 Constanta, Romania.
Pediatrics, County Clinical Emergency Hospital of Constanta, 900591 Constanta, Romania.
Pathogens. 2025 Jan 10;14(1):53. doi: 10.3390/pathogens14010053.
Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a neglected tropical parasitic disease linked with significant social and economic burdens worldwide. The scientific community has minimal information on echinococcosis in Romanian people, and hospital medical records are the only sources that may be used to investigate its status. A 7-year retrospective clinical study on pediatric patients with CE from Southeast Romania was performed, and 39 children and adolescents were included, aged 2-15 years old. They were hospitalized with cystic echinococcosis in the Pediatric Department and Pediatric Surgery Department of Constanta County Clinical Emergency Hospital "St. Apostle Andrew" between 1 January 2017 and 1 October 2024. Twenty-nine (74.36%) pediatric patients came from rural zones, and 10 (25.64%) had urban residences. In total, 28 children (71.79%) had contact with four different animals (dogs, goats, pigs, and sheep); only four were from urban zones, and they had contact only with dogs. Data regarding the length of hospital stay, cyst location, and complications were collected and analyzed. According to the medical files, the diagnosis was established using imaging techniques and serological tests for CE. IgE and IgG reported appreciable variations in correlation with all parameters, and significant differences ( < 0.05) were recorded. IgE levels considerably increased in cases of no animal contact, pulmonary involvement, complications, surgical treatment, and multiple hospitalizations. Moderate IgE values were recorded in cases of urban residences, pig and sheep contact, and hepatic involvement. The IgG concentration considerably increased with sheep contact and moderately increased in cases of rural zones, hepatic involvement, complications, and surgical treatment. The results show that incidental discovery, symptoms, complications, multiple dissemination, pulmonary involvement, and dog and pig contact increase the hospitalization time. Extensive data analysis supports our results. Our findings highlight the complexity of managing infections in children and evidence the importance of a multidisciplinary approach, combining early diagnostic tools, tailored medical therapy, and careful surgical intervention when necessary.
囊型包虫病（CE）是一种被忽视的热带寄生虫病，在全球范围内造成了重大的社会和经济负担。科学界对罗马尼亚人群中的包虫病了解甚少，医院病历是可用于调查其现状的唯一来源。对罗马尼亚东南部患有CE的儿科患者进行了一项为期7年的回顾性临床研究，纳入了39名2至15岁的儿童和青少年。他们于2017年1月1日至2024年10月1日期间在康斯坦察县临床急救医院“圣使徒安德鲁”的儿科和小儿外科因囊型包虫病住院。29名（74.36%）儿科患者来自农村地区，10名（25.64%）居住在城市。总共有28名儿童（71.79%）与四种不同的动物（狗、山羊、猪和绵羊）有接触；只有4名来自城市地区，他们只与狗有接触。收集并分析了有关住院时间、囊肿位置和并发症的数据。根据医疗档案，通过影像学技术和CE的血清学检测进行诊断。IgE和IgG与所有参数相关时均呈现出明显变化，并记录到显著差异（<0.05）。在无动物接触、肺部受累、并发症、手术治疗和多次住院的情况下，IgE水平显著升高。在城市居住、接触猪和绵羊以及肝脏受累的情况下，记录到中等IgE值。IgG浓度随着与绵羊接触而显著升高，在农村地区、肝脏受累、并发症和手术治疗的情况下中度升高。结果表明，偶然发现、症状、并发症、多处播散、肺部受累以及与狗和猪接触会增加住院时间。广泛的数据分析支持了我们的结果。我们的研究结果突出了儿童感染管理的复杂性，并证明了多学科方法的重要性，该方法包括早期诊断工具、量身定制的药物治疗以及必要时谨慎的手术干预。
