Is hepatic resection the best treatment for hydatid cyst?

Hydatid disease is a serious public health problem in endemic areas, and the management is controversial. Operative treatment is generally accepted especially in patients presenting complications. Our policy is to perform radical surgery and, whenever possible, anatomic hepatic resection. The purpose is to report our experience and results in the management of liver hydatid disease.

Between January 1991 and December 2010, 97 patients were referred to our department for surgical treatment of hepatic hydatid cyst. Data were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were divided into three treatment groups: conservative surgery (CS), total pericystectomy (PC), and hepatic resection (HR). The main outcome measures were the mortality, morbidity, and recurrence rate.

Median patient age was 45 years (range, 30-56 years). A total of 105 hydatid cysts were treated. Radical surgery was performed in 85 patients: major HR in 43 patients, minor HR in 9, and total PC in 33. CS was performed in 12 cases. There were no postoperative deaths, and the overall morbidity was 20 %. Postoperative morbidity in the HR group was 20 %. Minor (Grade I/II) and major (Grade III/IV) complications were comparable between groups (p = ns). No statistical difference in duration of hospitalization was observed between the CS and the HR group. One patient in the HR group developed a recurrence.

The findings of this study suggest that surgical resection is not associated with much more postoperative and cyst cavity-related complications than the other groups. In addition, there was no mortality and a low recurrence rate.