[Efficacy of benzimidazole-type drugs on alveolar echinococcosis (AE)]

AE patients can be cured only by complete excision of the lesions. In Europe and the United States, however, benzimidazole-type drugs have been reported to be effective. We treated 37 patients (20 males and 17 females, mean age of 45.9 years) with mebendazole (MBZ) (n = 17) or albendazole (ABZ) (n = 20) according to the WHO chemotherapy protocol, and compared adverse reactions, drug concentrations, serological parameters, and measurable lesions by CT scan and/or X-ray examination. In the MBZ group, serological parameters were unaffected. One patient each had hepatic disorder and alopecia (12%), and 5 lesions in the liver and 3 in the lung gradually increased in size (105% in 1 year, 112% in 2 years), and showed NC (no response) in 6, PD (progressive disease) in 2. One case of released biliary obstruction were judged as PR (partial response) (Response rate: 11.1%). In the ABZ group, no adverse reactions were found and ELISA level decreased significantly in 10 out of 12 patients. One lesion in the liver, 3 in the lung, 1 in the chest wall and 1 in the retropancreatic region reduced in size significantly (Mean: 56%) (PR 3, NC 3; Response rate: 50.0%). ABZ was safer and more effective than MBZ.