Echinococcus:
Metazoa Platyhelminthes Cestoidea Cyclophyllidea Taeniidae Echinococcus
Echinococcus cysts often grow to a diameter of 16 centimeters, although they may become as large as a basketball. The seriousness of the infection is dependent upon the size and location of the cyst: a large cyst in the liver may be fatal, as well as a small cyst in the brain. Symptoms of an infection are not usually apparent until the cyst grows to approximately 10 centimeters.