[Diagnosis and treatment of abdominal hydatid cysts in children. A multicentric study].

UNLABELLED: Echinococcosis is one of the most frequent parasitosis and is endemic in Romania.

MATERIAL AND METHOD: The data on 111 children with abdominal localization of hydatidosis who underwent exploration and treatment in 3 pediatric surgical clinics were reviewed. The study evaluated 59 patients who were treated at "Sf. Maria" pediatric hospital Iasi during 2004 and 2009, 47 at "Marie Curie" pediatric hospital from Bucharest during 2000 - 2009 and 5 children at Bacău General Hospital 2004-2009. The medical records were reviewed for: demographics, age, gender, location of the cyst, operative procedure, medical treatment, outcome, length of hospital stay and postoperative follow up.

RESULTS

Age ranged between 2 and 17 years and male/female ratio was 1,1/1.67% of patients lived in rural areas. The liver was the most common organ involved: in 69 cases it was the only organ involved and there were 2 kidney cyst cases, 8 spleens involved, 2 cases in broad ligament, 13 peritoneal cases and 26 cases of cyst located in great omentum. The preferred surgical procedure was Lagrot partial pericystectomy. For medical antihelminthic treatment it was used Albendazole. As complications there were: biliary fistulas, postoperative cholangitis, infection of the residual cavity, anaphylactic reactions. The mortality rate was 0%.

CONCLUSIONS

Most of the patients were from rural area. The liver was the major organ involved. The treatment includes both surgical and medical means. There is a relatively high rate of postoperative complications (although some of them being minor) in 31 patients.