Albendazole as a potential treatment for human hydatidosis.

The pharmacokinetics of albendazole was evaluated in 11 patients with hydatid disease who underwent surgery 12 h after the last dose of drug. Albendazole and its main metabolite, albendazole-sulphoxide, were assayed in the serum from peripheral and portal blood, the liver, bile, lungs, and hydatid cyst walls and fluid. After a 10-14 mg/kg daily oral dose of albendazole, concentrations of 1844 +/- 904 ng/g wet tissue of albendazole-sulphoxide were found in the liver and 749 +/- 34 ng/g wet tissue in the lungs. The level in hydatid cyst fluid was 921 +/- 314 ng/ml. The drug was also excreted through the bile. The same daily oral dose produced very stable blood levels after 2 to 4 days of treatment (600-1000 ng/ml). In another part of the study 3 patients with liver cysts, 2 with peritoneal cysts, and 5 with bone cysts received 7 mg/kg twice a day prophylactically and/or therapeutically for 30 days. In all cases the treatment was repeated several times after intervals of 2 weeks. The 3 patients with liver cysts were cured (probably due to treatment); there was no recurrence in the 2 patients with peritoneal cysts and very slight improvement in the 5 cases with bone cysts. The drug was clinically and biologically extremely well tolerated.