[Surgical treatment of hepatic infections with Echinococcus granulosus]

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a world-wide zoonosis but is relatively rare in Western industrial countries. Surgery is the treatment of choice. However, the technical procedure varies and evidence-based knowledge is fragmentary. Cystectomy and partial resection of the liver (pericystectomy, segmental resection, hemihepatectomy) are the procedures under debate.

We present a descriptive analysis of the patients suffering from CE (anamnesis, cyst location, procedures, morbidity, lethality, hospital stay, and long-term follow-up).

A retrospective analysis was made of the medical records and questionnaires of patients surgically treated within a period of 16 years at a German university hospital.

Sixty-four patients had 101 parasitic cysts which were treated by 67 operations. The average volume of the cysts was about 400 ml (range 10 - 2200 ml). Eighty-six cysts were located within the liver and 15 in extrahepatic sites. The parasitic lesions were removed by hemihepatectomy (n = 4), segmental liver resection (n = 9), pericystectomy (n = 24), cystectomy (n = 34), and cysto-jejunostomy (n = 1). During the first half of the observation period resective procedures were preferred (81 %) whereas during the second half cystectomy predominated (82 %). Lethality was 0 %. Postoperative morbidity after resective procedures and cystectomy was 47 % and 17 %, respectively. Relapses were not observed after cystectomy, but occurred in four cases following resective procedures (twice after hemihepatectomy, 4 and 7 years later, respectively; once after segmental liver resection and once following cysto-jejunostomy, both 2 years after the respective procedure). The more extensive the surgical procedure the longer was the hospital stay.

Cystectomy should be performed as the procedure of choice because it proved to be safe, simple, effective, and meets all criteria of the surgical treatment for hydatid disease, i. e., complete elimination of the parasite, no intra-operative spillage especially by the use of Aaron's cone, and saving healthy tissue. Pericystectomy should be used for peripheral liver cysts only partially surrounded by liver tissue.