Significance of Imaging Features of Alveolar Echinococcosis in Studies on Nonhuman Primates

• Published in: The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene Vol. 81; no. 3; pp. 540 - 544
• Main Authors: Kishimoto, Miori, Yamada, Kazutaka, Yamano, Kimiaki, Kobayashi, Nobuyuki, Fujimoto, Satoshi, Shimizu, Junichiro, Lee, Ki-Ja, Iwasaki, Toshiroh, Miyake, Yoh-Ichi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Deerfield, IL ASTMH 01-09-2009; American Society of Tropical Medecine and Hygiene
• Subjects: Albendazole - therapeutic use; Animals; Anthelmintics - therapeutic use; Antigens, Helminth; Biological and medical sciences; Blotting, Western; Diseases caused by cestodes; Echinococcoses; Echinococcosis, Hepatic - diagnostic imaging; Echinococcosis, Hepatic - pathology; Echinococcosis, Hepatic - veterinary; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Female; Helminthic diseases; Infectious diseases; Macaca - parasitology; Medical sciences; Monkey Diseases - diagnostic imaging; Monkey Diseases - parasitology; Monkey Diseases - pathology; Parasitic diseases; Tomography, X-Ray Computed - veterinary; Plathelmintha; Parasitosis; Cestoda; Helminthiasis; Cestode disease; Infection; Echinococcus multilocularis; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Helmintha; Primates; Tropical medicine; Invertebrata; Echinococciasis
• ISSN: 0002-9637; 1476-1645
• DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.2009.81.540

In this study, we report the imaging findings in two Japanese monkeys (Macaca fuscata) diagnosed with alveolar echinococcosis. Both monkeys were treated with albendazole for 10 years, without surgery. Radiography, computed tomography, and contrast-enhanced ultrasonography were performed under general anesthesia. This is the first report on contrast-enhanced ultrasonographic imaging for alveolar echinococcosis wherein perflubutane was used as the contrast medium. The findings of the imaging analyses were similar to those reported for alveolar echinococcosis in humans, such as snowflake sign and worm-eaten sign. In addition, the serology correlated well with the imaging data in these two monkeys. Therefore, we propose that the imaging findings of alveolar echinococcosis in nonhuman primates may be used to accumulate data on this condition in human alveolar echinococcosis.