Hydatid liver disease: our 25-year experience

Hydatid disease is a zoonosis caused by Echinococcus spp., which inhabits the intestine of some canines (dog). Humans are accidental intermediate hosts and can accommodate one or more cysts in different locations, mainly the liver and lungs. The standard treatment of hydatid disease has historically been surgical, including conservative and radical procedures. The disease is considered endemic in the area around Hospital Provincial "Domingo Funes," Córdoba, Argentina.

We conducted a retrospective and descriptive study that included 57 patients diagnosed with hydatid liver disease who were treated surgically from January 1985 to December 2009.

Females represented 50.9% of the subjects with a mean age of 53 years. The main clinical presentation was pain in 56% of patients and palpable mass in 33.3%. In 93% of cases we used ultrasonography as a diagnostic method (100% sensitivity). Erythrocyte sedimentation rate was increased in 63%. Total cystectomy was performed on 47.4% of patients. Surgical morbidity was 29.8%. Surgical mortality was zero. The average number of days of hospitalization was 12.

Clinical and epidemiological analysis is the mainstay of diagnosis, supplemented by ultrasound, CT scan and blood tests. We suggest total cystectomy as the first surgical choice, when feasible, due to its lower morbidity/mortality and shorter postoperative hospital stay, according to similar series.