Hepatic involvement can result in abdominal pain, a mass in the hepatic area, and biliary duct obstruction.
Pulmonary involvement can produce chest pain, cough, and hemoptysis.
Rupture of the cysts can produce fever, urticaria, eosinophilia, and anaphylactic shock, as well as cyst dissemination. Echinococcus multilocularis affects the liver as a slow growing, destructive tumor, with abdominal pain, biliary obstruction, and occasionally metastatic lesions into the lungs and brain. After surgery, medication may be necessary to keep the cyst from reoccurring. Some reports have suggested the use of albendazole or mebendazole for Echinococcus multilocularis infections. See recommendations in The Medical Letter for complete information.