Surgical treatment and outcomes of hydatid cyst of the spleen

Abstract

Aim: Discuss the different modalities of surgical treat ment of splenic hydatid cyst and outcomes after treatment. Patients and Methods: Retrospectively, 14 patients were operated in our institution between 2002 and 2011. Results: A total splenectomy was performed in 8 cases. A conservative treatment was preferred in 6 cases: 2 patients underwent partiel splenctomy and two patients underwent partial cystectomy. The duration of hospitalization ranged from 5 to 15 da ys. The morbidity rate was 14%. One patient presented a recurrent hemorrhage and one patient developed a left pneumonia. There is no death in our series. The mean duration follow-up was 20 months and there is no recurrence. Conclusion: Management of a splenic hydatid cyst is not consensual. Surgery remains the treatment of choice to avoid serious complications. To tal splenectomy is optimal because it provides definitive treatment. However, spleen-preserving surgery is the preferred treatment in some selected patients.