Improvement of liver resectional therapy by adjuvant chemotherapy in alveolar hydatid disease. Swiss Echinococcosis Study Group (SESG).

In human alveolar echinococcosis radical surgery is the only curative therapy. Local recurrences after "radical" surgery have been observed rather frequently in former years. Postoperative "prophylactic" chemotherapy with benzimidazole derivatives over two years appears to prevent local recurrences according to our experience. In addition five patients of our series who suffered from primarily non-resectable alveolar echinococcosis became radically operable after an average of 2 years of chemotherapy. Our experience suggests that chemotherapy improves resectability and curability of surgery in alveolar echinococcosis.