The effect of prophylactic mebendazole in experimental peritoneal hydatidosis.

The primary treatment of hydatid disease is surgical. The most important complication of the surgical treatment is secondary hydatidosis due to spillage of the cyst contents. Medical treatment, with mebendazole, has been used extensively. This study was undertaken to evaluate the prophylactic effect of mebendazole in experimental peritoneal hydatidosis. Mebendazole was given for 96 hours in a dose of 40 to 65 milligrams per kilogram per day before the inoculation of scolices intraperitoneally. This prophylactic therapy decreased the intraperitoneal formation of cysts significantly from 80 to 11 per cent (p less than 0.005). The preoperative administration is recommended to prevent secondary hydatidosis due to spillage of scolices during the operative intervention.