Surgical treatment of liver hydatidosis: our experience with diagnostic and therapeutic consideration

Objective: The Authors report on their experience in diagnosis and treatment of liver hydatidosis (LH). Materials and methods: From January 2000 to December 2003, we observed 24 patients (10 male = 42% and 14 female = 58%, male/female ratio 1:1.4, range of age 23 - 80 years, mean age 45.25 years). The most frequent initial symptom was hepigastric and hypocondriac pain (82.6%), meanwhile acute abdominal pain was only in 26.1%. In one half of cases performed radical surgery (total pericistectomy), in 35% of cases the AA subtotal pericistectomy and only in 17% the AA partial pericistectomy. Only one left hepatectomy during total pericistectomy we performed. Major complications were registered, except a post-operative bleeding treated with 3 blood transfusion. The mean time of bedridden was 6.8 days (range 4 - 35, mode 7 days, median 7 days). All patients are actually in clinical, instrumental and serological follow-up as outpatients (3 months - 2 years): we not encountered any relapse. Conclusions: The surgical treatment of liver hydatidosis must to be radical (as in total pericistectomy), free from severe and disabling complications and without risks and relapses. The choice of type of surgery (radical or conservative) must came from attempt examination of anatomo-clinical tools and experience and agreement of surgical team. Copyright © 2005 Edizioni Luigi Pozzi.