Pulmonary parasitosis: applied clinical and therapeutic issues

The aim of this study is to review the problems encountered in treating pulmonary hydatid and bilharsiasis and to highlight the risks associated with chemotherapy and the delay of their surgical treatment.

The medical records of 60 patients with pulmonary hydatid and bilharsiasis were retrospectively investigated. The patients were divided into two groups based on whether the parasite was hydatid (group 1, n=56) or schistosomiasis (group 2, n=4). The group 1 was divided into group 1a (complicated cyst n=32) and group 1b (n=24 noncomplicated hydatids).

In all cases of pulmonary bilharsiasis and intact pulmonary hydatid cysts, the lesions were either incidental findings or the patient had presented with haemoptysis, cough, dyspnea and chest pain. The differences between the groups with respect to the rates of preoperative complications and postoperative morbidity, frequency of decortication and hospital stay were statistically insignificant (p>0.05).

Complicated cases have higher rates of preoperative and postoperative complications but the differences are insignificant. Complicated cases are easier to diagnose. This underlines the need for paying more attention to the possibility of pulmonary parasitosis especially in lower lobe lesions in endemic areas.