Surgical treatment of hydatidothorax.  Series of 79 cases.
OBJECTIVE
A retrospective review of 79 cases of ruptured intrapleural pulmonary hydatid cysts. We analyse and evaluate our experience in the surgical treatment of this complication.


METHODS
In a ten-year period, from 1990 to 1999, 79 patients were operated on in our service for intrapleural rupture of a pulmonary hydatid cyst. There were 51 males and 28 females with a mean age of 35.4 years. The diagnosis was established on the basis of different clinical signs and imaging studies. Surgical approach consisted of a posterolateral thoracotomy in all cases. After decortication, different procedures were performed on the pulmonary lesions according to the importance of lung destruction.


RESULTS
Radical resections were done in 48 cases, including lobectomies (15), segmentectomies (33) and conservative treatment: simple capitonnage and bronchial fistula closure (31). Postoperative complications occurred in 8 cases (10.1%), including one pyothorax, one haemothorax, one prolonged air leak, two pneumonias and two wound infections. There was one postoperative death, by respiratory failure. Ninety-five percent (95%) of patients were free of recurrence of thoracic hydatid disease in a follow-up ranging from 1 to 10 years (mean: 5.4 years).


CONCLUSIONS
Hydatid cysts of the lung should be treated before complications occur, particularly intrapleural rupture because it considerably increases morbidity.
Kabiri
el-H
el-H
Department of Thoracic Surgery, Ibn Sina University Hospital, Rabat, Marocco. hassankabiri@yahoo.com
Caidi
M
M
al Aziz
S
S
el Maslout
A
A
Benosman
A
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004445:Echinococcosis, Pulmonary / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013510:Pulmonary Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012422:Rupture, Spontaneous / Q000601:surgery