Major liver resection for recurrent hydatid cyst of the liver after suboptimal treatment

Recurrent hydatid disease (HD) of the liver after a previous suboptimal invasive treatment is a clinical situation not well codified in terms of management and surgical treatment. Between June 2001 and July 2015, 1525 liver resection were performed at our unit, of whom 217 were with a laparoscopic and 20 with a robotic approach. The most common indications were hepatocellular carcinoma grown on a cirrhotic liver and colorectal metastasis. During the same period, we performed liver surgery for HD in 34 patients (21 females, 13 males). This retrospective study focused on the management and surgical treatment of three unusual cases of recurrent hydatid cyst. All patients had a course of perioperative albendazole. Thirty-four patients had a surgical treatment [open surgery in 30 (88 %) and laparoscopic in four (12 %)]. Surgical procedures were classified as radical resections in 33 patients [total cystopericystectomy (10), left lateral hepatectomy (5), left hepatectomy (2), right hepatectomy (7), segmentectomy/bisegmentectomy (9)]. One patient underwent subtotal pericystectomy as the cyst was close to a major vascular pedicle in a cirrhotic liver. Post operative complications of grade I-II occurred in 11 (32 %) patients, of grade III-IV in one (3 %). Three patients had HD recurrence after a previous suboptimal invasive treatment [PAIR (2), unroofing (1)] and all had to undergo a major liver resection for the complete removal of parasites. The HD first relapse rate for the whole surgical series was 3 %. The second relapse rate was 33 %. The overall survival rate was 100 %. Operations for recurrent HD of the liver represent a surgical challenge due to volume of the cyst, presence of adhesions related to previous invasive treatments and proximity to major vascular structures of the liver. In such instances, pericystectomy can be difficultly achieved making necessary a formal major liver resection.