Primary echinococcus infestation of the bone and muscles.

Hydatid diseases of the bone and muscles are rare, generally are incurable, and have a high level of recurrence. We attempted to ascertain whether the recurrence rate decreased in patients with hydatid disease infestation of the bone and skeletal muscle who were treated with current surgical techniques and antihelminthic chemotherapy, and whether the outcomes for bone infestation were different when compared with outcomes for muscular infestation. We retrospectively reviewed 15 patients with hydatid disease of the bone (eight patients) and muscle (seven patients). The average followup was 30 months (range, 6-69 months). Recurrence was observed in four patients with bone involvement. No patient with muscle involvement had a recurrence after excision. Hydatid disease of the bone often is recurrent and progressive despite using advanced diagnostic studies, improved surgical techniques, and newly developed antihelminthic drugs. The disease status also was not as good as for patients with bone lesions when compared with patients with muscular lesions.