Surgical treatment of bronchobiliary fistulas due to complicated echinococcosis of the liver: case report and literature review.

Echinococcosis still remains a widespread disease associated with the development of a number of complications. The present study presents three patients, successfully treated surgically of bronchobiliary fistulas--in two of the patients the fistulas were due to complicated echinococcosis of the liver, and in the third patient the fistula was a result of a hepatic abscess which developed in a residual cavity after echinococcectomy. The patients were discharged from hospital in good health. The authors consider thoracophrenotomy to be the method of choice in the surgical treatment of patients with bronchobiliary fistulas; it allows performance of echinococcectomy and elimination of the bronchobiliary fistula. The results are discussed in relation to relevant data in literature.