Surgical approach of pulmonary hydatidosis in childhood

Abstract

To review the results of different surgical treatment inhydatid disease of the lung in paediatric patients.A total of 102 children with pulmonary hydatid cystswere treated at the our clinic in the period from 1990 to2001. There were 59 boys and 43 girls and their age rangedfrom 4 to 16 years (mean 10.2).Chest radiography, computed tomography and abdom-inal ultrasonography were the most commonly useddiagnostic techniques. The cysts were located in theright lung in 68 patients (66.6%), in the left lung in 30 patients (29.4%), in both lungs in four patients (3.9%).Concomitant liver cyst hydatid was also detected in12 patients that were located at right lung, and twopatients with bilateral lung involvement. All cases weremanaged surgically. Of 14 cases with concomitant liverand intrathoracic hydatid cysts, right thoracophrenotomy was performed in 12, median sternotomy in one, andphrenotomy in other. Partial cystectomy and capitonnagewere the most commonly used surgical methods. Post-operative complication was seen in 10 (9.8%) patients.Infection at the incision site occurred in four patients andair leakage in three. Complications of capitonnage wereseen in three patients. One patient (1%) died at fourthpost-operative day due to sepsis.Parenchyma protective operations should be performedespecially in children living in endemic areas because of thepossibility of recurrence of the disease in the future. Singlestage operations in suitable cases decrease the costof treatment and make surgical therapy suitable in bothchildren and young adults, by reducing the hospitalin-patient time and morbidity.