THE DISGUISES OF PULMONARY ECHINOCOCCOSIS

The article represents a clinical observation demonstrating different disguises of pulmonary echinococcosis. A suppurative echinococcal cyst imitated protracted community-acquired pneumonia, which required differentiation from TB. M. tuberculosis complex DNA was detected in a child with confirmed pulmonary echinococcosis (high IgG antibody titer to echinococcosis, 1 : 800) by sputum studies involving polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Echinococcosis and TB comorbidity was presumed. Morphological verification of the diagnosis was required. Echinococcosis was confirmed using cytohistological methods: an echinococcal cyst with parietally located “daughter” echinococcal vesicles was found in the resection sample, Echinococcus granulosis hooks and scolexes were detected in the lung tissue imprint smears. The diagnosis of TB was excluded based on negative results of microbiological and molecular genetic studies of various diagnostic samples (sputum, BAL fluid, resection samples) for M. tuberculosis detection and histological studies of the resected lung section – tuberculous granulomas were not detected. The aim of the demonstration: to show possible disguises of pulmonary echinococcosis with complicated course which impede the disease diagnosis in children.