Evaluation of treatment and long-term follow-up in patients with hepatic alveolar echinococcosis.
BACKGROUND
Alveolar echinococcosis is a rare disorder, which makes a comparison of different treatment modalities within a clinical trial difficult to perform. Data prospectively recorded over a period of 25 years were used to evaluate three therapeutic strategies: benzimidazole therapy alone, complete 'curative' resection followed by 2 years of adjuvant benzimidazole treatment, and partial debulking resection followed by continuous administration of a benzimidazole.


METHODS
Details of 113 patients with hepatic alveolar echinococcosis treated between 1976 and 2003 were analysed. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were constructed and, using a Cox regression model, patient age, year of initial treatment and PNM stage were entered as co-variates in the analysis.


RESULTS
Kaplan-Meier overall survival curves stratified for treatment strategy indicated an improved long-term survival in patients undergoing the debulking procedure (P = 0.061) or curative resection (P = 0.002) compared with benzimidazole therapy alone. However, when PNM stage, patient age and year of initial treatment were introduced into the analysis, there was a trend for survival advantage only with curative resection (P = 0.07 versus benzimidazole alone). Debulking resulted in a higher rate of progression of hepatic echinococcosis than curative surgery (P = 0.008). The incidence of parasite-related complications was similar for debulking resection and benzimidazole therapy alone (P = 0.706).


CONCLUSIONS
Debulking hepatic resections do not appear to offer any advantage in the treatment of patients with alveolar echinococcosis.
Kadry
Z
Z
Department of Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Renner
E C
EC
Bachmann
L M
LM
Attigah
N
N
Renner
E L
EL
Ammann
R W
RW
Clavien
P-A
PA
D000328:Adult; D015766:Albendazole / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000871:Anthelmintics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D004444:Echinococcosis, Hepatic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008463:Mebendazole / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000871:Anthelmintics; D008463:Mebendazole; D015766:Albendazole