Efficacy of preoperative albendazole use according to months in hydatid cyst of the liver.

PURPOSE: Hydatid cyst is still a significant health and economical problem due to insufficient preventive measures. Infestation by hydatid disease in humans most commonly occurs in the liver and causes complications unless treated properly. Therefore, hepatic hydatid cyst should immediately be treated when diagnosed. Today, the treatment of hydatid cysts is principally surgical. To avoid recurrence, viable scoleces in the hydatid cyst should be eliminated before emptying surgically. Length of Albendazole therapy, a drug effective on scoleces in the cyst, is still controversial.

METHODS

In this study, there was a significant difference in the rate of viable scoleces when group III receiving albendazole for 3 months preoperatively was compared with group I, group II, and the control group. We do think 3-month preoperative abendazole treatment is effective in reducing the rate of recurrence and if still viable scoleces are observed in the surgery, albendazole treatment should be continued for 1 month postoperatively.

RESULTS

After the therapy, in group I 10 (47.6%), in group II 7 (33.3%), and in group III 2 (0.9%) patient's scoleces were alive. In the control group (group IV) 17 (80%) patients' scoleces were intact. When group III is compared with the control group, a significant difference was observed (P<0.05). Yet again, there was a significant difference between the groups when groups I and II were compared with group III.

CONCLUSIONS

We concluded that in treatment of hydatid cyst, albendazole should be continued at least for 3 months preoperatively and if still viable scoleces are identified, medical treatment should follow the surgical intervention at least for 1 month to decrease the possibility of residual cysts and recurrence.