Diagnosis and Surgical Treatment of Hepatic Hydatid Disease

In this report, 226 patients with hydatid disease admitted to the Surgical Department of ErciyesUniversity (Kayseri) and Şişli Etfal Hospital (Istanbul) in Turkey between 1978 and 1990 werereviewed retrospectively. 102 patients (45.1%) were male and 124 (54.9%) female. The mostfrequent symptom was right upper abdominal pain (66%). The most frequent signs werehepatomegaly (43.8%) and palpable mass (39%). 167 patients (73.9%) were examined withultrasonography which has a diagnostic value of 94%. Preoperative complications wereinfection of cyst (7%), intrabiliary rupture (3.5%) and anaphylactic shock (0.4%). Patients wereoperated on by various techniques; omentoplasty (101), external drainage of residual cavity (64),marsupialization (25), capitonnage (15), introflexion (10), pericystectomy (6), and hepatic resection(5). Main postoperative complications were wound infection (12%) and biliary fistula(2.6%). Total mortality rate was 1.8% in this series.