[Flubendazole in human Echinococcus granulosus hydatidosis. Preoperative care: parasit-pharmacologic study]

The effect of flubendazole in human hydatic disease due to E. granulosus has been studied in 22 patients with one or several hydatic cysts of different sites. Flubendazole has been given orally before surgery for a 10 days mean period, at 4 g daily in adults and 1 g daily in children. Flubendazole has been titrated by radioimmuno-assay in sera, urines and bile taken 12 to 24 hours after the last ingestion and in the hydatic cyst (membranes and liquid). The scolex vitality was determined by direct optic microscopy and by intra-peritoneal mouse inoculation. Seven non-treated patients, without hydatic disease, were considered as controls. The flubendazole concentrations in sera (3.01 +/- 3.73 ng/ml) and in urines (7.6 +/- 7.5 ng ml) are low. They are also low in membranes (3.21 +/- ng/mg) and in hydatic liquid, but significantly more elevated in the hepatic localisation than in the pulmonary localisation. The bile concentrations are high (167.9 +/- 133.2 ng/ml). There is no correlation between these concentrations and the amounts of flubendazole administered. The scolex vitality was correlated neither with the amounts of flubendazole administered, nor with the concentrations of flubendazole in the hydatic cyst. Further studies are necessary before judging of the efficacy of flubendazole in the human hydatic disease.