Cystic echinococcosis in Thailand with a special note on detection by serology in one family

Thailand is a nonendemic area of echinococcosis. We report, herein, 3 cases with a special note on the use of serology in detection of the disease in one family. All cases were Thais. The first case was a man, having a cystic mass in the liver. He was subsequently diagnosed as having echinococcosis following positive serology. The second case, a male, had a renal hydatid cyst revealed by histopathology, and a positive serological test. The third case, a wife of case 2, was positive by serological screening for echinococcosis and subsequently proven to have splenic and liver echinococcal cysts. The present findings support the use of serology in the case detection of echinococcosis in Thailand.