Work

The Great Pretender: Echinococcal Infections Posing as Liver Cancer – Two Case Reports

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Introduction: Medical professionals are well aware that imaging techniques are not infallible in accurately diagnosing cancer or staging patients with histologically confirmed cancer. Pathologists often emerge as game changers, prompting a complete re-evaluation of the therapeutic approach. Case Presentations: Here we present 2 cases of patients initially diagnosed with suspicious cancer lesions that were subsequently identified as echinococcal hydatids. Beyond the clinical findings, the patients' perspectives vividly illustrate the psychological burden of misdiagnosis and the impact of treatment side effects. From an epidemiological standpoint, alveolar echinococcosis remains rare, but its incidence is steadily increasing in Central Europe, with Switzerland being a region of particularly high prevalence. Conclusion: These case reports emphasize the reality that not all liver masses indicate malignancy and underscore the importance of histological diagnosis before cancer treatment.

Source: Case Reports in Oncology

DOI: 10.1159/000548599

Authors: Beatriz Calle Serrano, Joachim Hohmann, Christian Bayerl, Guacimara Ortega Sanchez

Institutions: Kantonsspital Winterthur, University of Basel

Language: English

Topic: Parasitic infections in humans and animals

Subfield: Pathology and Forensic Medicine

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,170