Abdominal hydatidosis in Pondicherry, India.

A study during the period 1980-1987 revealed 71 surgically confirmed cases of abdominal hydatid disease. The majority of the patients were in 3rd, 4th and 5th decades (64.5%) with approximately equal incidence in both males and females. The commonest site of lesion was liver (56.4%), followed by peritoneal cavity (16.9%) and spleen (10.2%). Indirect hemagglutination serology test was found to be more sensitive (95.2%) than the traditional Casoni skin test in the diagnosis of abdominal hydatid disease. Ultrasonography was also found to be a useful procedure in the diagnosis of the condition. This study shows that there is a significant rise in the number of patients suffering from abdominal hydatid disease in this part of India.