title: Splenectomy versus spleen-preserving surgery for splenic echinococcosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The spleen is the third most common location of hydatid disease after liver and lung. The aim of this study was to analyse the long-term outcome of surgical treatment of patients with splenic echinococcosis comparing splenectomy with spleen-preserving surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  During a period of 25 years (1976-2001), 19 (5.4%) patients with splenic echinococcosis were treated in our department out of 349 patients with abdominal hydatid disease. In 16 patients the spleen was the only organ involved, while in 3 patients the liver was also affected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eleven patients had splenectomy and in the other 8 the spleen was preserved: enucleation (n = 4), partial cystectomy and omentoplasty (n = 2) and cystojejunal Roux-en-Y anastomosis (n = 2). One (6%) patient died in the early postoperative period and 5 (29%) patients had postoperative complications. There was no significant difference between the splenectomy and spleen-preserving groups concerning median hospital stay and postoperative complication rate. The median follow-up in 15 patients was 52 (range 6-300) months. Two patients (13%) developed recurrence of the disease requiring re-operation at 2 and 3 years, respectively. Recurrence occurred in 1 (12%) patient in the splenectomy group and in 1 (14%) out of 7 patients in the spleen-preserving group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the present series it was possible to preserve the spleen in 8 (42%) of 19 patients, without significant increase of recurrent echinococcosis.
authors.affiliation: 2nd Surgical Clinic of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Atmatzidis
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Papaziogas
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mirelis
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pavlidis
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Papaziogas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004443:Echinococcosis / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013154:Spleen / Q000601:surgery*; D013156:Splenectomy / Q000379:methods*; D013158:Splenic Diseases / Q000469:parasitology / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome