A case of alveolar hydatid disease of the lung in the Kansai district of Japan

A 78-year-old man was admitted to hospital because of episodes of high grade fever and multiple nodular shadows on chest roentgenogram. He had a past history of percutaneous drainage and partial resection of the left lobe of the liver for liver abscess of unknown origin in 1987. The high grade fever was secondary to sepsis due to Citrobacter freundii. The sepsis improved with antibiotic therapy, but the abnormal shadows on chest roentgenogram did not improved. Immunoserological tests indicated a probable diagnosis of alveolar hydatid disease of the lung, which is very rare in the Kansai district of Japan. Open lung biopsy was performed and the diagnosis of alveolar hydatid disease of the lung was confirmed.