SURGICAL-TREATMENT FOR SPLENIC HYDATIDOSIS

Splenic involvement is rare in patients with hydatid disease even in e ndemic countries. The spleen is the third most commonly involved organ after the liver and the lung. In our series splenic echinococcosis re presents 5.8% of abdominal hydatid disease. During the last 22 years, 14 patients were operated on for splenic hydatid cysts in our departme nt. In 10 patients the spleen was the only location of hydatid disease ; in 2 patients there was concomitant liver hydatid disease; one patie nt had disseminated intraabdominal disease; and one patient bad a coex isting hydatid cyst in the quadriceps femoris muscle. Plain abdominal films, ultrasonography, and computed tomography scans were most useful for establishing the diagnosis. All patients underwent splenectomy al one or combined with management of cysts at other sites, except for tw o patients who underwent omentoplasty and one patient who underwent ex ternal drainage. One patient died during the early postoperative perio d (mortality rate 7%), and three patients had minor complications. Spl enic hydatid disease should be included in the differential diagnosis when a splenic cyst is identified, especially in patients with a histo ry of hydatid disease. Surgery remains the treatment of choice to avoi d serious complications.