Work

Cystic echinococcosis in patients with leukemia: Clinical challenges and review of reported cases

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: • Two rare cases of cystic echinococcosis in patients with leukemia. • Report are scarce, and cases from Latin America appear to be underrepresented. • Albendazole was administered with chemotherapy without clinically hepatic toxicity. • Antiparasitic and oncologic treatment depended on leukemia and patient’s stability. • Individualized approaches to parasitic infections in immunocompromised hosts. Cystic echinococcosis (CE) rarely coexists with hematologic malignancies. We report two Peruvian men with leukemia and CE. one with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and a hepatic CE2 cyst managed with albendazole and surgery before chemoimmunotherapy, and another with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) and prior hepatic and pulmonary CE treated with concurrent albendazole and induction chemotherapy. Both patients lived in endemic highland areas and had childhood exposure to dogs. A literature review identified only a few cases, mostly acute myeloid leukemia, and none from Latin America. These cases highlight therapeutic dilemmas in balancing infection control and malignancy treatment, underscoring the need for tailored management strategies in endemic regions.

Source: IJID Regions

DOI: 10.1016/j.ijregi.2026.100840

Authors: Karel Santamaria-Leandro, Bruno Guerrero-Arismendiz, César Castro-Prado, Giancarlo Pérez-Lazo, Wilmer Silva-Caso

Institutions: Hospital Base Guillermo Almenara Irigoyen, EsSALUD, Peruvian University of Applied Sciences

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: $1,380