Degree of calcification and cyst activity in hepatic cystic echinococcosis in humans.

To evaluate the relationship between cyst activity and calcification degree in cystic echinococcosis (CE) in humans, 99 hepatic cysts at successive stages of involution, surgically excised from 72 Sardinian patients, have been analyzed. Cysts were classified into 4 groups according to calcification extent: CALC 0 (no calcification); CALC 1 (scattered punctate calcifications); CALC 2 (large coarse segmental/partial calcifications); CALC 3 (complete or nearly complete circumferential ring of calcification up to thick wall of osseous consistency/calcified content of cyst). In addition the possible correlation with antibody response has been explored analyzing IgG1, IgG4 and IgE produced against somatic PSCAg.

A study of morphological aspects of cystic echinococcosis in sheep in Sardinia.

We have investigated the morphological and structural aspects of hydatid cysts recovered from sheep raised in southern Sardinia during two surveys conducted over the 20 years since the last control attempt at the end of the 1980s. In the first study carried out during 1995-1997, a few years after the last control attempt, a total of 10,334 cysts were examined, recovered from 1029 infected sheep out of a total of 1375 inspected (prevalence 74.84%).

Morphological study of anomalous "laminated" brood capsules in cystic echinococcosis in humans and sheep.

"Anomalous", as yet unreported forms of brood capsules (BC) in cystic echinococcosis larvae from humans and sheep are described, thought to be the likely effect of degenerative involution of the parasite. Morphological examination showed an inner laminated layer (LL) in the brood capsules in intimate contact with the internal wall surface, suggesting the term "laminated brood capsules" (LBC). Analysis conducted on LBC from cysts of different typology invariably revealed them to contain just dead and highly degenerated protoscoleces (PSC).

[Ecographic evaluation of the vitality/fertility in the hepatic hydatidosis as indication for pericistectomy].

Hepatic hydatidosis is still now a frequently observed pathology and the total pericistectomy, for surgical difficulties, often request a subtotal pericistectomy with complications such as biliary fistula, haemorrhage and subphrenic abscesses. The Authors reconsidered their hepatic hydatidosis cases to evaluate the indication to the surgery that in their opinion, should have to consider first of all the functional state of the cysts. Infact, only the vital and the fertil ones, less frequent even if rarely found, should have indications to the surgery, because more likely complicated.

Development and sexual maturation of Echinococcus granulosus adult worms in the alternative definitive host, Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus).

In the present study for the first time an alternative definitive host model has been established for the complete development of Echinococcus granulosus in Meriones unguiculatus (Mongolian gerbils) up to shelled eggs production, as happened in the natural host. Animals treated with methylprednisolone acetate were orally inoculated with approximately 3000 protoscoleces and the development of parasites in the small intestine observed up to 46 days post-infection (p.i.