title: 15 Years in surgical management of pulmonary hydatidosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Echinococcosis remains an endemic surgical problem in countries where sheep and cattle raising is carried out, particularly in many Mediterranean countries. This study aims to evaluate the management of different presentations of pulmonary hydatidosis and their outcome over 15 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thoracic surgical department, Chest Diseases Hospital, Kuwait.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty patients operated upon for hydatid disease were evaluated pre- and post- operatively; 35 males, 25 females with a mean age of 28.4 years. Most patients were investigated by laboratory, serological and radiological studies. Different surgical techniques were used to remove the hydatid cyst from the lung.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most common presenting symptoms were cough (41 patients), and 12 patients were asymptomatic. Chest X-ray showed a rounded shadow in 42 patients; 19 cases were of vigorous size >10 cm. Thoracotomy was done in 57 patients; two chest wall cases were managed by minimal skin incision and enucleation, one hydatid cyst of the heart was approached through a median sternotomy. The mean hospital stay was 9 days. Postoperative complications occurred in 9 patients; prolonged air leak in 4 patients, pleural effusion in 3, pneumothorax, and wound infection in one patient each. One patient (65 years old) died on the 6th post-operative day most probably from pulmonary embolism. In a follow-up period of 2-15 years, 4 recurrences have been noted.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Surgical excision of pulmonary hydatidosis with maximum preservation of the lung parenchyma is the main stay of treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Chest Disease Hospital Kuwait University, Kuwait.
authors.forename: Raafat I
authors.initials: RI
authors.lastname: Shalabi
authors.forename: Adel K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Ayed
authors.forename: Morsi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Amin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D004445:Echinococcosis, Pulmonary / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007730:Kuwait / Q000453:epidemiology; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D012756:Sheep; D013908:Thoracotomy