Enrico Brunetti

• MD
• University of Pavia

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by Treponema pallidum. It progresses in phases and undiagnosed disease can cause considerable morbidity. Tertiary syphilis causes the formation of gummas. Liver involvement is rarely described and usually limited to transaminase elevation during primary syphilis. We present a case of tertiary syph...

Human cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a parasitic infection caused by the larval stage of the tapeworm Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato, primarily affecting the liver and lungs. Although the heart is affected in only 0.02–2% of all CE cases, a considerable number of cases have been, and continue to be, published. However, due to the rare occurrence...

Lung is the second most common locationof cystic echinococcosis (CE), after the liver. Diagnosis of lung CE is often incidental, and clinical manifestations depend on the location and size of the cyst, the most common being chest pain, shortness of breath, expectoration of fragments of endocyst, and haemoptysis. Surgery is the primary treatment, wi...

Background The association of fever, focal hepatic lesions and peripheral hyper-eosinophilia (FHLH) can be observed in both infectious and non-infectious conditions. Fascioliasis, capillariasis, toxocariasis, all causes of visceral larva migrans (VLM), represent most of the former, whilst lymphomas, eosinophilic leukemias and mastocytosis belong in...

Key Clinical Message Concurrent polycystic liver disease and echinococcus infection can hinder diagnosis. Surgery may be needed for accurate diagnosis and treatment. Multidisciplinary collaboration is crucial. Abstract Cystic echinococcosis, caused by Echinococcus granulosus eggs, is a parasitic zoonosis that typically affects humans through accid...

Background Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is attributable to Echinococcus granulosus metacestodes. Ultrasound examinations enable a stage-specific approach to CE management. However, this approach is not often applied in endemic areas, which include Kazakhstan. Methods We collected clinical and ultrasound data on CE pediatric patients seen at a nation...

A 24-year-old male Bangladeshi asylum seeker presented to the emergency department of Policlinico A. Gemelli of Rome, Italy with multiple nodular, pruritic lesions on both lower limbs and both elbows. We present a skin disease typical for persons living in crowded conditions.

Purpose of review: This work aims to provide an update of knowledge on the evolution of inactive cystic echinococcosis (CE) cysts (CE4-CE5) managed by 'watch-and-wait', by means of a scoping review of the literature published after the publication of the WHO-IWGE (Informal Working Group on Echinococcosis) Expert Consensus document in 2010. Recent...

Fungal osteomyelitis is considered a rare disease, and the published literature mainly comprises case reports, case series and narrative reviews. A systematic review was undertaken to provide a practice-based global perspective on this disease, focusing on epidemiology and treatment strategies. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane Library betwe...

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a zoonosis caused by Echinococcus granulosus . Uzbekistan is endemic for CE, but estimates of disease burden are lacking. We present findings from a cross-sectional, ultrasound-based survey evaluating the prevalence of human CE in the Samarkand region, Uzbekistan. The survey was conducted between September and October...

Simple Summary Infectious diseases are a matter of concern worldwide, as recently evidenced by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, in many instances, pathogens develop slowly, and patients discover they are ill even years after they were infected. This is the case of diseases caused by tapeworm parasites, such as alveolar (AE) and cystic (CE) echinococ...

Clinical skin manifestations are commonly seen in resource-limited settings, but they are frequently misdiagnosed due to the lack of microbiological tests with ensuing stigma and long-term disability. The adoption of portable ultrasound devices, which extend physical examination in the hands of trained clinicians, has partially improved the situati...

Background Cystic echinococcosis (CE), caused by Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato, is a neglected zoonosis. Its diagnosis relies on imaging, supported by serology, while only imaging is useful for staging and follow-up. Since diagnostic tools and expertise are not widely available, new accurate and easily implementable assays for the diagnosis an...

Background: The spleen is frequently scanned in workup of infections. Hypoechoic splenic micro-abscesses are known signs of disseminated tuberculosis in HIV co-infected patients. The spleen of HIV patients is thus often scanned using high-frequency transducers. Methods and findings: We describe a reticulo-nodular "sponge pattern" in the spleen o...

Benign liver lesions are increasingly diagnosed in daily clinical practice due to the growing use of imaging techniques for the study of the abdomen in patients who have non-specific symptoms and do not have an increased risk of hepatic malignancy. They include simple or parasitic hepatic cysts and solid benign tumors which differ widely in terms o...

Benign liver lesions are increasingly diagnosed in daily clinical practice due to the growing use of imaging techniques for the study of the abdomen in patients who have non-specific symptoms and do not have an increased risk of hepatic malignancy. They include simple or parasitic cysts and solid benign tumors which differ widely in terms of preval...

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) and alveolar echinococcosis (AE) are zoonoses of great medical and veterinary importance, caused by Echinococcus granulosus species complex and E. multilocularis, respectively. The life cycle of these parasites develops between the dog and other canids, which harbor the adult tapeworm in the intestine, and mammal intermed...

Human cystic echinococcosis (CE) in pregnancy is rarely reported, with approximately one case of CE for every 20,000 to 30,000 pregnant women in endemic areas. Little information on its management is available. We report our experience with a watch-and-wait approach in this group of patients. We retrieved clinical data from pregnant patients with h...

COVID-19 tide had shattered on European countries with three distinct and tough waves, from March and April, 2020; October and November, 2020 and March and April, 2021 respectively. We observed a 50% reduction in the hazard of death during both wave II and III compared with wave I (HR 0.54, 95%CI 0.39 - 0.74 and HR 0.57, 95%CI 0.41 - 0.80, respecti...

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) and Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) are two zoonotic diseases caused by tapeworms belonging to the Echinococcus genus. CE is a cosmopolitan zoonosis present in countries across all continents excluding Antarctica, whereas AE is limited to the northern hemisphere. Human CE affects an estimated 1.2 million people worldwide, wi...

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a zoonosis with a cosmopolitan distribution caused by Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato tapeworms. Although Uzbekistan and other countries in Central Asia are considered endemic, estimates of disease burden are lacking. We present data regarding surgically managed cases of CE obtained from Uzbekistan’s national diseas...

Background Human cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a zoonotic disease caused by Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato. CE is known to be endemic in some parts of Central Asia. We present findings from an ultrasound-based survey to estimate the prevalence of CE in the Turkestan oblast of Kazakhstan. Methods In October 2019, six villages were chosen based...

Background Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a complex disease for which clear understanding of clinical manifestations is needed to avoid misdiagnosis, inappropriate treatment, and severe complications. We evaluated the accuracy of a whole-blood stimulation test based on Interleukin (IL)-4 detection in response to Antigen B (AgB) of Echinococcus granu...

Background Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a chronic, complex and neglected infection that may cause serious disease in humans. Given its peculiar epidemiologic and clinical features, collection of clinical data is challenging. Notification systems, when available, fail to record important clinical features, available data are mostly retrospectively...

We evaluated the performance of a commercial rapid diagnostic test (RDT) in a field setting for the diagnosis of abdominal cystic echinococcosis (CE) using sera collected during an ultrasound population screening in a highly endemic region of the Peruvian Andes. Abdominal CE was investigated by ultrasonography. Sera collected from individuals with...

Nocardia has always been considered a pathogen of the immunocompromised host, but recent evidence has also highlighted its role as a pathogen in the immunocompetent. We aim to assess the role of immunosuppression in the disease. We reviewed all the cases of infections due to Nocardia spp. in our center that occurred from 1 January 2012 to 30 Septem...

Therapy choices for cystic echinococcisis (CE) are stage-specific: surgical, minimally invasive, medical or observation without intervention. PAIR (percutaneous aspiration, instillation of a scolicide, and re-aspiration) has been considered the treatment of choice for uncomplicated echinococcal liver cysts. However, PAIR carries the risk of toxic c...

The differential diagnosis of hepatic cystic echinococcosis (CE) may be challenging. When imaging is insufficient, serology can be applied, but no consensus diagnostic algorithm exists. We evaluated the performances of nine serological tests commercialized in Europe for the diagnosis of “echinococcosis”. We performed a diagnostic accuracy study usi...

Background: The real burden of human cystic echinococcosis (CE) remains elusive, due to the peculiar characteristics of the disease and the heterogeneous and incomplete data recording of clinical cases. Furthermore, official notification systems do not collect pivotal clinical information, which would allow the comparison of different treatment ou...

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a zoonotic disease that occurs in humans and ungulates due to infection with the larval stage of the taeniid cestode Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato. It has been estimated that approximately one million people are infected annually, resulting in US$3 billion in human and livestock-associated direct and indirect loss...

Extracellular RNAs (ex-RNAs) are secreted by cells through different means that may involve association with proteins, lipoproteins or extracellular vesicles (EV). In the context of parasitism, ex-RNAs represent new and exciting communication intermediaries with promising potential as novel biomarkers. In the last years, it was shown that helminth...

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a neglected zoonotic disease caused by Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato. Diagnosis and monitoring of CE rely primarily on imaging while serology is used as a confirmatory test. However, imaging is not always conclusive and currently available serological assays have suboptimal sensitivity and specificity, lack standa...

Background: The management of Latent Tuberculosis Infection is crucial in fighting Tuberculosis worldwide, and particularly in low incidence European Countries. While guidelines for the management of Tuberculosis in newly arrived immigrants have been issued by the European Center for Disease Control and Prevention and by the National Health Author...

The reference diagnostic method of human abdominal Cystic Echinococcosis (CE) is imaging, particularly ultrasound, supported by serology when imaging is inconclusive. However, current diagnostic tools are neither optimal nor widely available. The availability of a test detecting circulating biomarkers would considerably improve CE diagnosis and cys...

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is one of the neglected tropical diseases recognized by the WHO. Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato affects more than 1 million people worldwide and is responsible for high costs in the healthcare system. A clear knowledge of the prevalence of CE and its clinical characteristics could have an important impact on the appro...

Cystic (CE) and alveolar (AE) echinococcosis are chronic, neglected parasitic diseases burdened by high morbidity and, for AE, by high mortality, if left untreated. CE and AE have a widespread distribution, including Europe. Albendazole (ABZ), a broad-spectrum benzimidazole drug widely used to treat parasitic infections, is the drug of choice for t...

The introduction of ultrasound (US), some 40 years ago, facilitated, for the first time, an in vivo examination of cystic echinococcosis (CE). This enabled studies on the natural history of CE and provided choices for treatment. Portable US scanners deployed in remote endemic communities revealed the prevalence of CE in many parts of the world. The...

Cryptococcus species is still a very common opportunistic infection in AIDS patients. However, it is increasingly responsible for disease in otherwise immunocompromised individuals, such as transplant recipients and the heterogeneous group of patients with underlying immunologic diseases, hematologic disorders and organ failure syndromes. Clinical...

Objectives To detect possible SARS-CoV-2 RNA contamination of inanimate surfaces in areas at high risk of aerosol formation by patients with COVID-19. Methods Sampling was performed in the emergency unit and the sub-intensive care ward. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was extracted from swabbed surfaces and objects and subjected to real-time reverse transcriptase–...

Introduction: Spinal epidural abscess (SEA) incidence is rising. However, most series do not differentiate between SEAs associated with pyogenic infectious spondylodiscitis (PS) and SEAs limited to the epidural space. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records and radiological images of all patients admitted to our institutions with a diagnos...

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a neglected helminthic disease and major public health problem in several regions of the world. The zoonosis is caused by the larval stage of different cestode species belonging to the genus Echinococcus. CE can affect any organ with the liver and lungs being most commonly involved. The brain is involved in less than 2...

Background Prosthetic joint infections (PJIs) are a growing matter of concern due to their economic and social burden on health systems. In Italy, surgical data on PJIs are available in a national registry, but microbiological data are still scarce. Materials and methods We performed a retrospective study at a single center with records of patient...

The aim of this study was to review the quality of the diagnostic work-up for acute encephalitis carried out at our center in a cohort of patients with hematological disorders. Our data showed substantial heterogeneity in investigating patients. Not all patients had their CSF tested for viruses commonly responsible for encephalitis in immunocompete...

Cryptococcus species is still a very common opportunistic infection in AIDS patients. However, it is increasingly responsible for disease in otherwise immunocompromised individuals, such as transplant recipients and the heterogeneous group of patients with underlying immunologic diseases, hematologic disorders and organ failure syndromes. Clinical...

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a zoonotic disease caused by the larval stage of the cestode Echinococcus granulosus. The parasite typically infects dogs and ungulates, with humans acting as dead-end hosts. Information on the epidemiology of CE is lacking from Central Asia, including from Kazakhstan where CE cases are reported centrally. This study p...

The FP7 project 'Human Cystic Echinococcosis ReseArch in CentraL and Eastern Societies' (HERACLES), developed between 2013 and 2018 by nine partners in five countries, is one of the largest projects on cystic echinococcosis. Here we present the core HERACLES achievements, which should help to foster the translation of scientific investigations on h...

The diagnosis of cystic echinococcosis (CE) is based on imaging. Serology supports imaging in suspected cases, but no consensus exists on the algorithm to apply when imaging is inconclusive. We performed a retrospective analysis of serology results of patients with untreated hepatic CE and non-CE lesions, seen from 2005 to 2017, to evaluate their a...

Unfortunately, all the authors’ first name and family name were erroneously switched in the original article and published online.

The brown recluse, or fiddleback (violin) spider, is a poisonous spider of the Loxosceles genus that resides in warmer regions and old structures making the warm Mediterranean climate a natural habitat for the European species, L. rufescens . Even in infested households, however, bites are rare, as they are nocturnal and unaggressive. In 2015, the...

Background: Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a neglected parasitic zoonosis prioritized by the WHO for control. Several studies have investigated potential risk factors for CE through questionnaires, mostly carried out on small samples, providing contrasting results. We present the analysis of risk factor questionnaires administered to participants t...

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) is the ninth leading cause of death worldwide. World Tuberculosis Day is held every year to increase global awareness of TB. OBJECTIVE: To quantify the impact of World Tuberculosis Day using Internet-based data. METHODS: Google Trends™ data were used to quantify digital searches for the term ‘tuberculosis' worldwide...

Background. Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a neglected parasitic zoonosis prioritized by the WHO for control. Hygiene education is included in CE control campaigns but appears of little impact, and the precise risk factors for human infection are still uncertain. Several works investigated potential risk factors for CE through questionnaires, mostly...

Purpose Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has proven utility in the evaluation and treatment of many tropical diseases. Its role in malaria has been studied, but its value for the clinician at the bedside is unclear. Our review aimed at summarizing the existing studies to assess the usefulness, if any, of POCUS in treating malaria. Methods We used...

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a neglected helminthic zoonosis caused by the larval stage of the tapeworm Echinococcus granulosus s.l. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are regulators of gene expression that have been linked with the pathogenesis of several human diseases, but little exists in the available literature about miRNAs in CE. Here, we investigate the e...

The published article unfortunately contained mistake. After replacing the image from colored version to black and white, the Fig. 1 caption, unfortunately, was left unupdated. © 2018, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a zoonosis caused by the larval stage of the tapeworm Echinococcus granulosus. In humans, the infection induces the formation of parasitic cysts mostly in the liver and lungs, but virtually any organ can be affected. Cystic echinococcosis of the bone is one of the rarest forms of the disease, yet it is also extremely d...

Hydatid Cyst is a protozoal disease, whose spinal localization may be cause of pain and severe inability due to neurological symptoms and instability. Treatment combines the difficulties to eradicate the cyst with the spine regional constraints. The case of a 45-year-old woman is reported, affected by hydatid cyst in the spine, submitted to combina...

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a parasitic zoonosis caused by E. granulosus primarily affecting the liver and lungs. CE of the bone is by far the most debilitating form of the disease and is very difficult to manage as it mimics malignant tumors. We reviewed bone CE cases admitted to a reference oncological hospital in Kazakhstan from January 2010 t...

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is one of the most widespread helminthic zoonoses and is caused by the tapeworm Echinococcus granulosus complex. CE diagnosis and monitoring primarily rely on imaging techniques, complemented by serology. This is usually approached by the detection of IgG antibodies against hydatid fluid (HF), but the use of this heteroge...

The introduction of imaging techniques in clinical practice 40 years ago changed the clinical management of many diseases, including cystic echinococcosis (CE). For the first time cysts were clearly seen before surgery. Among the available imaging techniques, ultrasound (US) has unique properties that can be used to study and manage cystic echinoco...

Antimicrobial resistance in Gram-negative bacteria, particularly Enterobacteriaceae, has become a leading cause of morbidity and mortality and a serious public health concern. Gram-negative bacteria carrying extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) enzymes now represent a significant proportion of all bacteria isolated from different countries world...

Albendazole (ABZ) is the best drug available to treat cystic echinococcosis (CE), a neglected tropical disease. Cystic echinococcosis patients often receive a continuous course of the drug for 6-12 months. In Italy, ABZ shortages occur almost on a yearly basis. We searched clinical records at the World Health Organization Collaborating Center for t...

Human cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a chronic, complex and neglected infection causing severe disease in humans. Hepatic CE cysts are detected and classified mainly by using ultrasound. Expert opinion and published data suggest that uncomplicated inactive liver cysts do not require treatment and only need to be monitored over time ("Watch and Wait"...

Background: Cystic echinococcosis is a neglected zoonotic infection that is distributed worldwide and prioritised by WHO for control efforts. The burden of human cystic echinococcosis is poorly understood in most endemic regions, including eastern Europe. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of abdominal cystic echinococcosis in rural areas of Bulg...

available at: http://www.heracles-fp7.eu/heracles_survey.html We did a cross-sectional ultrasound-based survey that recruited around 25.000 volunteers from 50 villages in rural areas of Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey. Our results provide population-based estimates of the prevalence of abdominal cystic echinococcosis. These findings should be usef...

Background Thoracic ultrasound is helpful to evaluate lung pathology in patients with acute dyspnea. Several studies have demonstrated the efficacy of point-of-care ultrasound in patients with extrapulmonary TB and HIV co-infection. This retrospective, open-label case–control study explores the role of lung ultrasound in the diagnosis of Pneumocys...

Rapid Diagnostic Tests for cystic echinococcosis (CE) are convenient to support ultrasound diagnosis in uncertain cases, especially in resource-limited settings. We found comparable diagnostic performances of the experimental Hyd Rapid Test and the commercial VIRapid HYDATIDOSIS Test, used in our diagnostic laboratory, using samples from well-chara...

Purpose of Review Cystic echinococcosis (CE), a zoonotic disease caused by Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato, is endemic in the Mediterranean, where pastoral activity is widespread, as the life cycle of this helminth involves sheep, as well as other livestock, as intermediate hosts. We review recent studies on CE from Mediterranean countries. Rec...

Background: Several tools have been proposed for serodiagnosis of cystic echinococcosis (CE), but none appears promising for cyst viability assessment. Antigens with stage-specific diagnostic value have been described, but few studies with well-characterized antigens and human sera have been performed. Antigen B (AgB) proteoforms hold promise as m...

Prospective, observational, multicentre, multilingual, online register of patients with probable or confirmed CE (WHO-IWGE classification) in hospital or outpatient setting. 1,359 patients enrolled by informed consent on August 30th, 2017.

Puncture, Aspiration, Injection of scolicidal agent, Re-aspiration is the most widely used percutaneous treatment of cystic echinococcosis (CE). Among its perceived risks is chemical sclerosing cholangitis, a serious complication due to the caustic effect of the scolicidal solution on the biliary tree, when a patent cystobiliary fistula occurs. To...