EVALUATION OF <i>ECHINOCOCCUS GRANULOSUS </i>SEROPOSITIVITY IN PATIENTS WITH SUSPECTED HYDATID CYST

Elmas G., Boral O., Şahin Y. H., Issever H.

JOURNAL OF ISTANBUL FACULTY OF MEDICINE-ISTANBUL TIP FAKULTESI DERGISI, cilt.89, sa.3, ss.217-223, 2026 (ESCI, Scopus, TRDizin)

Özet

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the seropositivity of Echinococcus granufosus among patients with clinically suspected hydatid cyst (HC) presenting to Istanbul Faculty of Medicine Hospital, assess cyst organ localization, compare the sensitivity and specificity of IgG ELISA, IHA, and analyze patient demographics and relevant biochemical findings to support the diagnosis and management of echinococcosis, which is endemic in our country. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included a total of 313 patients who presented to our center between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2021, with suspected HC. Statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics, version 29.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Results: Among seropositive patients, males predominated, although no statistically significant association was found between gender and seropositivity, in contrast to reports indicating female predominance. Cystic echinococcosis was most commonly localized in the liver, followed by the lungs. In cases caused by E. granufosus, cysts were predominantly confined to a single organ, consistent with previous reports. In patients with immunodeficiency or extrahepatic involvement, false-negative results were observed despite the high sensitivity and specificity of IHA and IgG ELISA tests. Conclusion: Echinococcosis remains an important endemic disease, and its true prevalence is estimated to be higher than reported. Patient history should be considered the starting point in diagnosis. Although serological tests are valuable, the combined use of imaging, pathology, and serological methods improve diagnostic accuracy. In addition, the combined use of IHA and IgG ELISA may further enhance diagnostic reliability.