[Hydatic cysts of the liver ruptured into the thorax. Diagnostic and therapeutic aspects]

Hydatic cysts of the liver can rupture into the thorax. The aim of this work was to demonstrate how abdominal access can be used in most cases. We report 44 cases of hydatic cysts which ruptured into the thorax among a series of 1411 hydatic cysts of the liver operated between 1974 and 1995. Abdominal ultrasound and chest x-ray provided the diagnosis preoperatively in 35/42 operated cases (one case of spontaneous elimination of a hydatic membrane via a cutaneous orifice and one case of preoperative death). Thoracophrenolaparotomy was used in 12 cases, thoracotomy with laparotomy in 6, thoracotomy alone in 5 and laparotomy alone in 19. Pulmonary resections were performed in 18 cases. No procedure could be performed in one patient who died at the beginning of surgery. A breach in the diaphragm was repaired in 41 cases. The dome of the cyst was resected in 29 cases and complete pericystectomy was performed in 12. There were 7 post-operative deaths. There were no deaths in the abdominal access patients. All emergency problems were controlled with abdominal access. Thoracic access was reserved for specific cases.