[Efficacy of benzimidazole-type drugs on alveolar echinococcosis (AE)].
AE patients can be cured only by complete excision of the lesions. In Europe and the United States, however, benzimidazole-type drugs have been reported to be effective. We treated 37 patients (20 males and 17 females, mean age of 45.9 years) with mebendazole (MBZ) (n = 17) or albendazole (ABZ) (n = 20) according to the WHO chemotherapy protocol, and compared adverse reactions, drug concentrations, serological parameters, and measurable lesions by CT scan and/or X-ray examination. In the MBZ group, serological parameters were unaffected. One patient each had hepatic disorder and alopecia (12%), and 5 lesions in the liver and 3 in the lung gradually increased in size (105% in 1 year, 112% in 2 years), and showed NC (no response) in 6, PD (progressive disease) in 2. One case of released biliary obstruction were judged as PR (partial response) (Response rate: 11.1%). In the ABZ group, no adverse reactions were found and ELISA level decreased significantly in 10 out of 12 patients. One lesion in the liver, 3 in the lung, 1 in the chest wall and 1 in the retropancreatic region reduced in size significantly (Mean: 56%) (PR 3, NC 3; Response rate: 50.0%). ABZ was safer and more effective than MBZ.
Sato
N
N
First Department of Surgery, Hokkaido University School of Medicine.
Uchino
J
J
Aoki
S
S
Taguchi
K
K
Nishikawa
M
M
Baba
E
E
Nakagawa
T
T
Hata
T
T
Shimamura
T
T
Kamiyama
T
T
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015766:Albendazole / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001562:Benzimidazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D004444:Echinococcosis, Hepatic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008463:Mebendazole / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged
D001562:Benzimidazoles; D008463:Mebendazole; D015766:Albendazole