In addition, if the cysts were to rupture while in the body, whether during surgical extraction of the cysts or by trauma to the body, the person would most likely go into anaphylactic shock and have high fever, pruritus (itching), edema (swelling) of the lips and eyelids, dyspnea, stridor and rhinorrhea.Unlike intermediate hosts, definitive hosts are usually not hurt very much by the infection. Sometimes, a lack of certain vitamins and minerals can be caused in the host by the very high demand of the parasite.The incubation period for all species of Echinococcus can be months to years, or even decades. It largely depends on the location of the cyst in the body and how fast the cyst is growing. Cause
Also like many other parasite infections, the course of Echinococcus infection is complex. The worm has a life cycle that requires definitive hosts and intermediate hosts. Definitive hosts are normally carnivores such as dogs, while intermediate hosts are usually herbivores such as sheep and cattle. Humans function as accidental
hosts, because they are usually a dead end for the parasitic infection cycle, unless eaten by dogs or wolves after death. Hosts
Life cycle
An adult worm resides in the small intestine of a definitive host. A single gravid proglottid releases eggs that are passed in the feces of the definitive host. The egg is then ingested by an intermediate host.
Signs and symptoms may include:
Intermittent pain/discomfort or swelling above the anus or near the tailbone
Opaque yellow (purulent) or bloody discharge from the tailbone area
Unexpected moisture in the tailbone region
Discomfort sitting on the tailbone, doing sit-ups or riding a bicycle—any activities that roll over the tailbone areaSome people with a pilonidal cyst will be asymptomatic. Pilonidal sinus
Pilonidal sinus (PNS): is a sinus tract, or small channel, that may originate from the source of infection and open to the surface of the skin. Material from the cyst drains through the pilonidal sinus. A pilonidal cyst is usually painful, but with draining the patient might not feel pain. Causes
One proposed cause of pilonidal cysts is ingrown hair, although hairs found in pilonidal sinus tracts may originate from the head. Excessive sitting is thought to predispose people to the condition, as sitting increases pressure on the coccygeal region. Trauma is not believed to cause a pilonidal cyst; however, such an event may result in inflammation of an existing cyst; there are cases where this can occur months after a localized injury to the area. Some researchers have proposed that pilonidal cysts may be caused by a congenital pilonidal dimple. Excessive sweating can also contribute to the formation of a pilonidal cyst: moisture can fill a stretched hair follicle, which helps create a low-oxygen environment that promotes the growth of anaerobic bacteria, often found in pilonidal cysts. The presence of bacteria and low oxygen levels hamper wound healing and exacerbate a forming pilonidal cyst.