**4.3 Serology**

*Liver Disease and Surgery*

**Figure 13.**

**Figure 14.**

*MRI T2 axial. Detached membranes (white star). Hydatid membranes in bile duct (white arrow).*

*MRI coronal. Detached membranes. Bile duct with membranes (white arrow).*

*MR cholangiography. Residual cyst membranes (white star). Cholangiohydatidosis.*

**158**

**Figure 15.**

Currently, diagnosis and follow-up of patients with cystic echinococcosis are achieved especially through imaging. Serology is used for the same purpose, using the detection of IgG-specific antigens. However, low sensitivity and specificity rates have been reported. In addition, false positives appear during follow-up due to the persistence of antibodies over time. There is a lot of research (recombined proteins, isotopic antibodies, subisotopic IgG, synthetic peptides), which seek to develop new antibodies by means of the molecular technique, allowing a better diagnosis of this parasitosis [41, 42].
