[Percutaneous treatment of the liver hydatid cysts under sonographic guidance].

This paper is a retrospective study of the first 51 cases of liver hydatid cysts, which underwent a conservative treatment between April 1996-December 2000. There were 28 females and 23 males with a mean age of 40.1 years (7-65), which had 63 liver hydatid cysts. In the right liver lobe were located 46 cysts, in the left liver lobe were located 7 cysts and in 10 cases cysts were located in both liver lobes. In 4 cases a pulmonary hydatidosis was associated. Abdominal ultrasound and CT scan were routinely performed and the cysts were classified in type I and II after Gharbi's classification. All of these 63 cysts were treated by ultrasound guided fine-needle percutaneous puncture with aspiration and instillation of sterile alcohol 95 degrees. Pre and postoperative the patients were treated with mebendazol or albendazol. They were followed-up by ultrasound and CT scan examination in the second day postoperative and monthly. No new cysts were noted during an average follow-up of 14.7 months and maximal cyst diameter decreased with minimum 72%. Two episodes of reversible anaphylaxis were encountered. The mean hospital stay was 3.3 days. In this paper the indications for conservative treatment and preliminary results of this method are discussed.