Pulmonary hydatidosis: surgical treatment and follow-up of 240 cases

We review a series of 240 patients treated surgically for pulmonary hydatid cyst in our center between 1966 and 1988, assessing the results with our surgical technique, which involves a novel needle aspiration device designed by Professor D. Figuera, and postoperative treatment protocol.

The majority (60.4%) of the patients were from areas endemic for hydatid disease. The mean age of the patients at the time of the surgical procedure was 31.5 +/- 7.2 years (range: 4-70 years). A trocar-suction device was used for the needle aspiration of 276 (92%) of the 300 cysts encountered in the 240 patients. The remaining 24 cysts were removed integrally by means of different surgical techniques such as cyst enucleation, lobectomy, segmentectomy and atypical pulmonary resection. The residual cavity was treated by pericystectomy and eversion to the pleural surface in 238 cases (86.2%) and by capitonnage in 38 (13.7%). High vacuum suction (-30 cm H2O) was employed in every case. Depending on when the procedure was performed, the patients were treated with mebendazole or albendazole according to the protocol designed by Bekhti.

Clinical assessment of the symptoms and plain chest X-ray led to the correct diagnosis in 228 cases (95%). In six (2.5%), imaging studies such as ultrasonography, computed tomography and nuclear magnetic resonance were required, and in the remaining six cases (2.5%), the diagnosis was established intraoperatively or in the subsequent histopathological study. One hundred and seventy patients (70.8%) presented a solitary lung cyst, while the remaining 70 (29.2%) were found to have multiple cysts in one or more lobes of one or both lungs. In addition, 45 patients (18.7%) presented hepatic cysts and 25 (10.4%) had cysts in other locations. After 18 years of follow-up, the survival rate was 94.6%. Of the surviving patients, 98.3% were free of pulmonary hydatid disease and 95.1% were free of hydatid disease.

The trocar-suction device employed here for needle aspiration of hydatid cysts has demonstrated its efficacy in preventing the rupture of the cyst and its possible dissemination. With its use, the parasite is eradicated and the residual cavity can be excised.