title: Pulmonary hydatid cyst: The characteristics of patients and diagnostic efficacy of bronchoscopy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Pulmonary hydatid cyst (PHC) is a parasitic infestation caused by larvae of Echinococcus granulosus. The lung is the most commonly involved organ after the liver. There is lack of enough data on the efficacy of bronchoscopy in patients with PHC, and the diagnostic usefulness of bronchoscopy is still controversial. We aimed to present the diagnostic efficacy of bronchoscopy and disease characteristics of patients with PHC.
  
  
  METHODS
  PHC was diagnosed in 72 patients--51% of patients in Group I (uncomplicated PHC) and 49% of patients in Group II (complicated PHC)--in Dr Suat Seren Education and Research Hospital for Chest Diseases and Thoracic Surgery. The data of patients including age, gender, symptoms, and radiological, bronchoscopic, microbiological, and pathological findings were retrospectively evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The bronhoscopic findings were defined as hyperemia (44%), normal (38%), edema (32%), purulent secretion (24%), external bronchial compression (24%), and endobronchial cyst membrane (21%), respectively. Cyst membranes were seen during bronchoscopy in 7 (20.5%) of the patients and 6 (86%) of them were in Group II. Hydatoptosis (expectoration of cyst contents), cough, hemoptysis, leukocytosis, Echinecoccus IgG positivity, chest pain, and fever were significantly higher in Group II. According to radiological images, the multiple cystic nodular lesions and well-shaped cystic nodular lesions were significantly higher in Group I. However, water-lily sign, images of abscess, and pneumonic infiltration were significantly higher in Group II.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The diagnosis of PHC is usually made with the combination of clinical, radiological, serological, and surgical procedures. We suggest that the fiberoptic bronchoscopy can be used as a diagnostic method, especially in complicated PHC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Dr Suat Seren Education and Research Hospital for Chest Diseases and Thoracic Surgery, Izmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Berna
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Komurcuoglu
authors.forename: Sevket
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ozkaya
authors.forename: Ali Kadri
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Cirak
authors.forename: Enver
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yalniz
authors.forename: Gulru
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Polat
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D001999:Bronchoscopy / Q000379:methods; D002637:Chest Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D004445:Echinococcosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult