Significance of imaging features of alveolar echinococcosis in studies on nonhuman primates.

In this study, we report the imaging findings in two Japanese monkeys (Macaca fuscata) diagnosed with alveolar echinococcosis. Both monkeys were treated with albendazole for 10 years, without surgery. Radiography, computed tomography, and contrast-enhanced ultrasonography were performed under general anesthesia. This is the first report on contrast-enhanced ultrasonographic imaging for alveolar echinococcosis wherein perflubutane was used as the contrast medium. The findings of the imaging analyses were similar to those reported for alveolar echinococcosis in humans, such as snowflake sign and worm-eaten sign. In addition, the serology correlated well with the imaging data in these two monkeys. Therefore, we propose that the imaging findings of alveolar echinococcosis in nonhuman primates may be used to accumulate data on this condition in human alveolar echinococcosis.