ECHINOCCOCOSIS IN CHILDREN:
DIAGNOSIS AND SURGICAL TREATMENT
Shentov B, Ninov B
Higher Medical Institute, Pleven, Bulgaria
Objectives: To study clinical presentation, diagnostic
procedures and surgical treatment of hydatid disease in children.
Methods: Analysis of
cases with echinoccocosis in children admitted in Higher Medical Institute
– Pleven, Bulgaria for five years (1996 – 2000) was made.
Results: Forty-one
children with hydatid cysts were investigated. The numbers of boys and
girls were approximately equal. Most of the children were aged between 4
and 12 years (81.9%). Hydatid cysts were localized in the lungs in about
half of the patients (53.6%) and in the liver in 39.0%. Three cysts were
with rare localizations – peritoneum and kidney. Clinical symptoms were not
specific: fever, chest pain, dyspnea, and cough in pulmonary localization.
Liver cysts were usually asymptomatic. The most reliable investigations
were X – ray imaging and ultrasonography. Surgical treatment included
echinccocotomy, followed be capitonnage and drainage in most of the cases
(75.6%). In the rest of the children more extended resections were needed
(lobectomy, atypical resection).
Conclusion: The number
of cases with echinococcosis is significantly increased in the recent years
and there is relative prevalence of pulmonary localization in children. The
lack of symptoms in many patients caused delay in diagnosis. The main
treatment is surgically removing of cysts. It is necessary to establish
effective prophylactic measures against this crippling disease.