Terminology to be used in the field of echinococcosis: Adapting the international consensus to the French language

Echinococcoses are zoonoses affecting accidentally humans and their management requires the involvement of specialists from numerous disciplines. A standardization of the international terminology was published recently by the World Association of Echinococcosis. A multidisciplinary working group was established to propose an adaptation to the French language, taking the main French-speaking areas endemic for echinococcoses into account. The main recommendations are: 1) the use of single names for each disease associated with the different Echinococcus species « échinococcose kystique », « échinococcose alvéolaire » and « échinococcose néotropicale »; 2) the restriction of the use of « hydatique » to the larval stage of the cluster of Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato species; 3) the harmonization of terms used to describe the structure of the cysts; 4) the adaptation of the term used to name the ex-« vésicules filles », that now should be replaced by « kystes filles », to better comply with the international terminology. Concerning the surgical treatment of cystic echinococcosis, the description system and the acronym « AORC » (the same in English and in French for Approach/Abord, Opening/Ouverture, Resection/Résection, and Completeness/Complétude) were adopted. The use of this new terminology is crucial for the coherence between scientific publications and textbooks, and especially for a better understanding of the transmission of these diseases as well as for patients’ management.