[Thoracic hydatidosis. Our experience in the last 15 years]

Hydatidosis in Spain has been a relevant public health problem which has been partly solved due to the implementation of different preventive programs. In this work the thoracic hydatidosis cases diagnosed at our hospital during the last 15 years are reported. Forty patients with thoracic hydatidosis are analyzed. Most of them had pulmonary hydatidosis (32), 14 had liver and lung cysts, and in eight cases of thoracic hydatidosis there was no pulmonary involvement; eight patients had been operated previously because of hydatidosis. A discussion follows of the epidemiologic, clinical and radiologic characteristics, as well as laboratory data, endobronchial changes, diagnostic cost/effectiveness of bronchoscopy when performed, and results after surgery. To remark the high percentage of complicated hydatidosis and uncommon locations, seven cases of multiple hydatidosis (two of them with cardiac involvement), five cases had hepato-thoracic communication, three with chest wall involvement, and one with exclusive cardiac involvement, as well as one case of calcified pulmonary hydatidosis. In most patients (37), treatment was surgery with a low number of complications at post-surgery (3). Three relapses were noted at follow-up.