title: Echinococcosis: A 15-year epidemiological, clinical and outcome overview.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the epidemiological and clinical characteristics and mortality of patients with cystic echinococcosis (CE) in northern Spain.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective study of the medical records of patients diagnosed with CE and hospitalized from 1997 to 2011 in a University Hospital.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 76 patients (44 men) were diagnosed with CE. The mean age was 57.8 years (SD: 19.1 years; range: 14.9-92.7). The yearly average incidence was 1.08 cases/100,000 inhabitants. The highest incidence was registered in patients aged 70-79 years (22.7% of all cases). Liver was the main organ involved (92.1%), followed by lung (6.6%) and peritoneum (1.3%). Fifty-five patients (72%) received treatment: 2 (3.6%) medical treatment with albendazole, 27 (49%) surgical treatment, 3 (5.4%) medical treatment combined with cyst drainage, and 23 (42%) combined medical and surgical treatment. Eight patients had a recurrence. Twenty-four (31.2%) patients died. No patient's death was attributed directly to hydatidosis, though mortality was significantly higher in the untreated vs. the treated patient group (57% vs. 22%, p=0.003).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hydatidosis treatment and diagnostic approaches remain heterogeneous. The liver continues being the main organ affected. Mortality was higher in patients who did not receive treatment. However, this result might have been influenced by other factors, mainly age.
authors.affiliation: Service of Pneumology, Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, , Santander, Spain.
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Amado-Diago
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases Unit, Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, IDIVAL, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gutiérrez-Cuadra
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases Unit, Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, IDIVAL, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Armiñanzas
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases Unit, Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, IDIVAL, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Arnaíz de Las Revillas
authors.affiliation: General Surgery Department, Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, IDIVAL, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gómez-Fleitas
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases Unit, Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, IDIVAL, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain. Electronic address: mcfarinas@humv.es.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Fariñas
keywords: Echinococcosis; Enfermedades zoonóticas parasitarias; Equinococosis; Hidatidosis; Hydatidosis; Zoonotic parasitic diseases