Hydatid disease (aka echinococcosis) of the liver, lung, and peritoneum (caused by the larval form of the dog tapeworm, Echinococcus granulosus) or of the alveoli (caused by E. multilocularis) when surgical excision is not possible. Some suggest that alveolar and cystic echinococcosis require lifelong treatment with albendazole, which only prevents the parasites from growing and reproducing rather than killing them outright. Nematodes
Ascariasis, which can be cured with a single dose of albendazole. Baylisascariasis, caused by the raccoon roundworm. If treatment with Albendazole is initiated within 72 hours of ingestion of the egg-containing raccoon feces, good results (95%-100% efficacy, with Albendazole being orally administered for a 10-day period) can be expected. Corticosteroids are sometimes added in cases of eye and CNS infections. Enterobiasis (pinworm infection)
Filariasis; since albendazoles disintegration of the microfilarie ("pre-larva") can cause an allergic reaction, antihistamines or corticosteroids are sometimes added to treatment. In cases of lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis) caused by Wuchereria bancrofti or Brugia malayi, albendazole is sometimes given as an adjunct to ivermectin or diethylcarbamazine in order to suppress microfilaremia. It can also be given for loa loa filariasis as an adjunct or replacement to diethylcarbamazine. Albendazole has an embryotoxic effect on Loa loa adults and thus slowly reduces microfilaremia. Gnathostomiasis when caused by Gnathostoma spinigerum. Albendazole has a similar effectiveness to ivermectin in these cases, though it needs to be given for 21 days rather than the 2 days needed for ivermectin. Gongylonemiasis
Hookworm infections, including cutaneous larva migrans caused by hookworms in the genus Ancylostoma.
Elevation of liver enzymes occur in 16% of patients receiving treatment specifically for hydatid disease and goes away when treatment ends. Liver enzymes usually increase to two to four times the normal levels (a mild to moderate increase). An estimated 1–10% of people experience abdominal pain, nausea or vomiting, dizziness or vertigo, increased intracranial pressure, meningeal signs, temporary hair loss, and fever. The headache, nausea, and vomiting are thought to be caused by the sudden destruction of cysticerci (tapeworm larvae), which causes acute inflammation. Fewer than 1% of people get hypersensitivity reactions such as rashes and hives, leukopenias (drop in white blood cell levels) such as agranulocytosis and granulocytopenia, thrombocytopenia (reduced platelet count), pancytopenia (drop in white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets), hepatitis, acute liver failure, acute kidney injury, irreversible bone marrow suppression, and aplastic anemia.Side effects can be different when treating for hydatid disease versus neurocysticercosis: for example, those being treated for the former are more likely to experience elevated liver enzymes and abdominal pain, while those being treated for the latter are more likely to experience headache. Treating hydatid disease can also unmask undiagnosed neurocysticercosis. People receiving albendazole for the treatment of neurocysticercosis can have neurological side effects such as seizures, increased intracranial pressure, and focal signs caused by the inflammatory reaction that occurs when parasites in the brain are killed. Steroids and anticonvulsants are often given with albendazole when treating neurocysticercosis to avoid these effects.