Experience in the surgical treatment of 331 patients with pulmonary hydatidosis.

Echinococcus disease is prevalent in Chile, with a rate of occurrence of 8.2 per 100,000. During a 15-year-period (1970 to 1985) we operated on 331 patients for pulmonary hydatidosis. Chest roentgenography was the main method of diagnosis. Among the total of 508 surgical procedures performed, pulmonary cystectomy was the most common (61.4%), whereas pulmonary resection was used in 31.4% of patients. The arc 5 test was used to confirm the diagnosis. Results were positive in 85% of the patients in whom it was done. There were 12.9% immediate postoperative complications in 12.9%, with late complications occurring in 4.10% and an overall mortality rate of 4.21%. These data suggest that hydatid cyst is still a common disease in our country, causing an important number of hospital admissions and a high percentage of complications.