[Mebendazole therapy in echinococcosis. Long-term study and course parameters in 8 patients]

Eight patients with inoperable echinococcosis, four each with the cystic or alveolar form, had received mebendazole (Vermox) at a daily dose of 1.5 g for an average of 27 months. In six patients with clinical symptoms the number of fever attacks fell by 60% and of hospital admissions by 54%, cholangitic and/or icteric attacks disappearing completely. Two patients had no recognizable symptoms, either before or after treatment. One woman with multilocular disease died of bleeding from esophageal varices. The immunological and morphological findings did not reveal any relationship to the clinical course. Apart from reversible leukopenia in one patient there were no serious side effects. These observations indicate a satisfactory effect of long-term treatment of inoperable echinococcosis with mebendazole.