Diagnosis and treatment of hepatic echinococcosis: an overview

BACKGROUND: Surgery has long been considered the first-choice treatment in patients with echinococcosis of the liver. The poorly predictable outcome of older studies using mebendazole or albendazole confirmed this belief. Since the introduction of a percutaneous technique (PAIR; puncture, aspiration, injection, reaspiration) treatment policy is changing. The actual question is which treatment is preferred in which patients. METHODS: Review of recent literature. RESULTS: Laparoscopic treatment of anteriorly located hepatic cysts is a new surgical technique with high success rates (77%-100%) and low complication (0%-17%) and recurrence rates (0%-9%). Albendazole is superior to mebendazole treatment. Degenerative changes were found in 82% of patients treated with albendazole and in 56% of those treated with mebendazole. The main problem is the high relapse rate: 25% mostly within 2 years. PAIR proved to be superior to albendazole treatment (88% versus 18%) and equally effective as surgery (86% versus 76%). A combined injection of alcohol with polidocanol is a simple alternative to PAIR. Percutaneous evacuation of cyst content (PEVAC) made percutaneous treatment accessible to patients with complicated cysts. CONCLUSIONS: Albendazole is the first-choice treatment in patients with univesicular cysts. PAIR or combined injection of alcohol with polidocanol is indicated when pain is intractable or albendazole fails. In patients with multivesicular cysts, PEVAC is a better choice. Surgery is the first-choice treatment only when the expertise of percutaneous treatment is not available or when percutaneous treatment fails.