Is a shortened postoperative albendazole duration after curative surgery for alveolar echinococcosis possible? Results from a prospective multicenter study.

In a prospective study of 15 patients with liver alveolar echinococcosis who underwent curative surgery, a strategy to reduce the recommended 2-year postoperative albendazole (ABZ) regimen was evaluated. Guided by negative positron emission tomography computed tomography (PET-CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) results at 1 year, ABZ was safely discontinued earlier (median 14 months) in 10 patients, with no recurrence observed during the mean 47 months of follow-up, indicating that postoperative ABZ may be safely shortened with careful imaging follow-up. Interestingly, a retrospective analysis of the rEm18AB antibody index showed that a negative index was not required for ABZ withdrawal, although a declining trend supported the decision.