title: Long-term albendazole effectiveness for hepatic cystic echinococcosis.
abstract: Little is known about the long-term effectiveness of albendazole in the medical therapy of non-complicated hepatic cystic echinococcosis (HCE) in resource-constrained settings. We performed a retrospective review of patients starting albendazole for HCE in Lima, Peru from January 1997 to December 2007. Patients successfully recontacted underwent chart abstraction and clinical and ultrasonographic reevaluation. Descriptive statistics were used to delineate patient characteristics and treatment effectiveness at the conclusion of albendazole and after reevaluation. Patients (N = 27) were primarily female, mean age was 51. Initial treatment success at albendazole conclusion was 26% (N = 7) per patient and 37.5% (N = 24) per cyst. After 3.8 ± 2.5 years, albendazole success was 34% (N = 9) per patient and 40% (N = 24) per cyst. We found a gap in the effectiveness of albendazole HCE therapy compared with the efficacy reported in clinical trials. This underscores the need for further investigation into alternate therapeutic strategies for this neglected disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294-0012, USA. jsalinas@uab.edu
authors.forename: Jorge Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Salinas
authors.forename: Herman
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Vildozola Gonzales
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Astuvilca
authors.forename: Yanet
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Arce-Villavicencio
authors.forename: Danny
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Carbajal-Gonzalez
authors.forename: Lety
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Talledo
authors.forename: James H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Willig
mesh_terms: D015766:Albendazole / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D000923:Anticestodal Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004444:Echinococcosis, Hepatic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D048209:Echinococcus granulosus / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000923:Anticestodal Agents; D015766:Albendazole