Pulmonary hydatidosis in a general hospital from Lima, Peru: experience in 113 patients

Abstract

Objective. To describe the surgical, clinical and epidemiological characteristics in patients with pulmonary hydatid in the Hospital Nacional Dos de Mayo. Material and methods. Descriptive, retrospective and observational study. The studied population was patients with the diagnosis of pulmonary hydatid, operated and registered in the Program of Torax and Cardiovascular Surgery of the Hospital Nacional Dos de Mayo from January 2003 to December 2005. 113 clinical records and surgical reports were reviewed; clinical, epidemiological and surgical characteristics, intraoperatory and postoperatory morbidity/mortality as well as six-month follow up after the surgical treatment were recorded. Results. 113 patients were enrolled, 50.4% female, 15.9% were from Lima Metropolitana and the main symptom was thoracic pain. The principal surgical approach was the posterolateral toracotomy (97.3%). The surgical techniques used were pulmonary resection (52.2%), preservative surgery (40.7%) and mixed technique (7.1%). Pulmonary hydatidosis with intrapulmonary involvement was present in 4.5% and extrapulmonary involvement in 25.7%. Complicated cysts were in 80.5% of cases. There were intraoperatives surgical complications in 73.4% and postoperative complications in 22.1%. Conclusions. Patients were young adults, mainly rural immmigrants or people in transit, frequently with risk factors for hydatid. Intra-operatory complications were more frequent and unusual than postoperatory complications, but had no impact on the patients’ mortality.