Pre-school Children with Hydatid Lung Disease

Abstract

Background : Hydatid cyst disease is a major health problem in developing countries and it usually settles in the lungs in children. This study aimed to present pre-school children with lung hydatid cysts cases that underwent surgical treatment.

Methods : The authors retrospectively investigated 42 consecutive pre-school patients who were diagnosed and surgical treated for hydatid cysts in their clinic between January 1998 and December 2011.

Results : Seventeen (40.5%) patients were female and 25 (59.5%) patients were male. The average age of the patients was 5.2 ± 1.3 (between 2–7 years). The most common symptoms were cough (74%), chest pain (26.2%), and fever (26.2%). Twenty-eight cases had cysts in only one lung; in five cases, the cysts were in a single lung and the liver, in six cases, in bilateral lungs and liver, and in three cases, in bilateral lungs. The average cyst diameter was 6.2 ± 2.4 (2–12) cm. In five cases, there were combined interventions to the right lung and liver cysts with a transdiaphragmatic approach. Nine patients with bilateral hydatid cysts underwent operations. Muscle protector thoracotomies were performed in eight cases. Cystotomy and capitonnage were applied to all lung cysts. One patient underwent a bronchoscopy for postoperative atelectasis. In one case, postoperative fever was observed. There was no postoperative mortality. Postoperative average hospital stay was 7.2 ± 2.1 (3–13) days.

Conclusion : Surgery is the definitive treatment for lung hydatid cysts. The most important way to protect against the adverse effects of a thoracotomy is to eliminate the routes of transmission.

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Notes on contributors

Y. Aydin

Dr. Y. Aydin Department of Thoracic Surgery Faculty of Medicine Ataturk University 25070 Erzurum, Turkey Tel.: [phone] Fax: [phone] E-mail: [email protected]