Cestodoses larvaires

Tapeworms or cestodes are hermaphroditic flatworm parasites that can live as parasitic adults in the human gastrointestinal tract. Some cestodes only infect in the larval stage; they include: sparganosis due to Spirometra species, coenuriasis due to Toenia multiceps, cysticercosis due to Toenia solium, echinococcosis due to Echinococcus species, cystic echinococcosis, and alveolar echinococcosis caused by E. granulosus and E. multilocularis, respectively. The two other species, E. vogeli and E. oligarthus, cause polycystic echinococcosis but are rarely associated with human infection. Epidemiological and clinical features, together with treatment and prevention are reviewed.