[Treatment of human alveolar echinococcosis with flubendazole. Clinical, morphological and immunological study]

Flubendazole has been given at a daily dosage of 50 mg/kg for 16 months (extremes 10 and 24 months) to 10 patients with hepatic alveolar echinococcosis. Clinical, morphological and immunological evaluations have been performed every 2 months during the treatment, and in 6 patients after discontinuation of the drug for 24 months. Jaundice persisted or occurred in 7 patients; infectious complications were observed in 4 patients; portal hypertension appeared in 5 patients; metastatic spread was suspected in 2 patients. Subjective improvement and weight gain were reported by 6 patients during the first 4 months of treatment. Severe complications occurring during the period of FZ therapy or within 2 months after withdrawal of the drug led to surgery in 6 patients, and death occurred in 3 cases. These observations demonstrate the inefficacy of FZ in this series of 10 patients with alveolar echinococcosis, possibly related to the extremely poor bioavailability of FZ. Higher plasma concentrations obtained with mebendazole and albendazole could explain the better efficacy of these two drugs despite their similar chemical structures and experimental toxicity upon larval cestodes.