Isolated renal and retroperitoneal hydatid cysts.

Area of Science:

• Medicine
• Parasitology
• Surgery

Background:

• Hydatid cysts, caused by Echinococcus granulosus, can affect various organs, including the kidney and retroperitoneum.
• Clinical presentation of hydatid cysts is often non-specific, with pain being the most common symptom in this series.
• Incidental diagnosis can occur through imaging findings like renal calcification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the clinical presentation, diagnosis, and management of isolated renal and retroperitoneal hydatid cysts.
• To evaluate the efficacy of surgical interventions and long-term outcomes in patients with these parasitic cysts.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of five patients (4 renal, 1 retroperitoneal) with hydatid cysts.
• Diagnostic methods included indirect hemagglutination test and ultrasonography (USG).
• Surgical management involved nephrectomy, total cystectomy, or total cystectomy with wide excision.

Main Results:

• The mean patient age was 46 years, with pain as the most frequent symptom.
• Indirect hemagglutination test was positive in all cases; eosinophilia was noted in 20%.
• All patients underwent surgical treatment, and no recurrence was observed during an average follow-up of 23.8 months.

Conclusions:

• Surgical management, including cystectomy or nephrectomy, is effective for renal and retroperitoneal hydatid cysts.
• Long-term follow-up with serological tests and imaging confirms the absence of recurrence.
• Hydatid disease should be considered in the differential diagnosis of cystic masses in the kidney and retroperitoneum.