title: Is capitonnage unnecessary in the surgery of intact pulmonary hydatic cyst?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hydatid disease, a parasitosis, is still an important health problem in Turkey. Surgery is the choice of treatment for pulmonary hydatid cyst. In this study, cystotomy and capitonnage were compared to cystotomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-nine patients with 70 pulmonary intact hydatid cysts were surgically treated between 1993 and 1999. There were 11 females and 48 males (range 4-58 years). Cystotomy and closure of bronchial openings were performed in all patients. The patients were divided into two groups. In Group A (n = 32 patients, n = 38 cysts), the cavity was closed (capitonnage), and in Group B (n = 27 patients, n = 32 cysts) capitonnage was not performed. The patients treated by other surgical methods (pericystectomy, lobectomy, and others) were not included in this study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prolonged air leak (> 5 days) was found in one patient in Group A, and in four patients in Group B. Atelectasis developed in one patient in Group A, and in three patients in Group B. Additionally, in Group B pseudocystic appearance occurred in two patients and empyema in one patient. The duration of hospitalization was 9.8 +/- 2.1 days for Group A, and 12.4 +/- 3.2 days for Group B. There was a significant difference between the groups for hospital time (p < 0.01). There was no mortality in either group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study shows that capitonnage is a procedure that should not be easily abandoned, despite the current contrary opinions, because of its low complication rate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Erciyes University Medical, Faculty, Kayseri, Turkey. bilginm@erciyes.edu.tr
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bilgin
authors.forename: Fahri
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Oguzkaya
authors.forename: Yigit
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Akçali
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004445:Echinococcosis, Pulmonary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019616:Thoracic Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome