HYDATID CYST Meaning and
Definition
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A hydatid cyst, also known as echinococcosis or hydatid disease, is a parasitic infection caused by the tapeworm larvae of Echinococcus granulosus. It forms a cyst in various organs, particularly the liver and lungs, but can also affect the brain, bones, and other body tissues. The cyst contains thousands of small fluid-filled chambers called hydatid cysts, which contain the developing larvae of the tapeworm.
Hydatid cysts are commonly contracted through the ingestion of food or water contaminated with the eggs of the tapeworm, usually from close contact with infected dogs or from consuming raw or undercooked organs of infected animals, such as sheep or cattle. The eggs then hatch in the intestines and penetrate the intestinal wall, entering the bloodstream and spreading to various organs, where they develop into cysts.
Symptoms of hydatid cysts may vary depending on the size and location of the cysts. In some cases, the cysts may remain asymptomatic for years. However, when symptoms occur, they can include abdominal pain, coughing, difficulty breathing, hepatomegaly (enlarged liver), jaundice, and fever.
Treatment for hydatid cysts typically involves surgery to remove the cysts and the use of antiparasitic medications to kill the tapeworm larvae. In complex cases, where surgery is not suitable or when the cysts are in critical organs, other interventions like cyst puncture, aspiration, injection, re-aspiration (PAIR) may be utilized in combination with drug therapy to shrink and kill the cysts. Early detection and treatment are crucial to preventing complications and the spread of the parasite.
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A cyst formed by the lodgment in the liver or elsewhere of an echinococcus larva.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
Common Misspellings for HYDATID CYST
- Hydatid Cyqt
- Hydatid Cyrt
- Hydatid Cys4
- Hydatid Cysd
- Hydatid Cysp
- Hydatid Cysv
- Hydatid Cysu
- h ydatid cyst
- hy datid cyst
- hyd atid cyst
- hyda tid cyst
- hydat id cyst
- hydati d cyst
- hydatid c yst
- hydatid cy st
- hydatid cys t
Etymology of HYDATID CYST
The word "hydatid" is derived from the Greek word "hudatis", which means "watery", "hydatid" or "drop of water". It refers to a fluid-filled structure. The term "cyst" comes from the Greek word "kystis", which translates to "bladder" or "sac". Therefore, "hydatid cyst" essentially describes a fluid-filled sac-like structure.
