Surgical treatment of hepatic hydatidosis combined with perioperative treatment with albendazole.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of albendazole combined with surgery on the incidence of recurrent hydatid disease.

Design: Prospective open study.

Setting: Teaching hospital, Turkey.

Subjects: 25 patients who presented with hepatic hydatid disease between December 1992 and October 1995.

Interventions: Albendazole 10 mg/kg/day for a month before ultrasonography and then excision, and then albendazole for a further two months.

Results: 2 patients were excluded because the albendazole caused disturbance of liver enzyme activities. Of the remaining 23 patients only 7 had viable cysts on ultrasonography. In 15 patients (65%) the germinal layer was partially or totally destroyed, and in 15 the fluid was either cloudy or stained with bile. During a mean follow up period of 29 months only one patient developed recurrent disease.

Conclusion: Perioperative treatment with albendazole resulted in fewer recurrences than expected. A longer preoperative period of treatment may increase the success rate; this requires further study.