HISTORY: A 48 year old man presented with a cystic mass in the spleen. No other cysts identified anywhere in the body. A single gross image of the specimen is shown. What is your diagnosis?

Please reply to Dr. M.K. Baruah, MDRC, Dibrugarh at
mkbaruah@pathoindia.com
before September 25th, 2001.

RESULTS:

19 colleagues responded to this case, all calling it "hydatic disease", but only on gave the more correct and specific diagnosis of "Alveolar Hydatidosis caused by Echinococcus multilocularis."

To complete this case, three more images are presented showing the brood capsule in the direct smears of the scrapings of the cysts, another showing the external cuticular and inner germinal layers, and the third of a foreign body giant cell reaction in the splenic section.