[Surgically treated hydatid cysts of the liver in France. Epidemiology, diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Study of 306 cases].

In this multicentric study of 306 cases of operated hydatid cysts of the liver, 63 p. 100 of the patients came from North Africa, 22 p. 100 were French, and 11 p. 100 came from Southern Europe. Only 12 patients had autochthonous echinococcosis. Pain was the main symptom (70 p. 100 of cases), but in 13 p. 100 of patients, the cyst was discovered by chance. In half of the cases, the cyst was calcified on plain abdominal films. Immunological tests for hydatid disease were positive in 76 p. 100 of cases. Postoperative mortality was 2.5 p. 100. Post-operative complications were recorded in 30 p. 100 of cases and a reoperation was performed in 12 p. 100 of patients. The postoperative complication rate was 32 p. 100 after resection of "dome saillant" (40 p. 100 of surgical procedures) or partial pericystectomies (29 p. 100 of interventions), 35 p. 100 after hepatic resections (9 p. 100 of interventions), and 13 p. 100 after total pericystectomies (29 p. 100 of interventions). Large biliary-cystic fistulas were present in 92 p. 100 of reoperated patients. Total pericystectomy seems to be the best operative procedure, when it may be performed safely.