Management of Liver Hydatid Cysts: A Retrospective Analysis of 293 Cases From Southern Iran

Fars province with the capital of Shiraz in one of the thirty-one provinces of Iran located in the southwest part of the country with a population of more than 4.6 million people of which 67.6% living in urban areas, 32.2% in rural areas and 0.3% live as nomad tribes. The average temperature of Fars province is 17.8 °C, ranging between 4.7 °C and 29.2 °C and the annual rainfall is 261mm. Animal farming and agriculture are of great importance as they are considered as two main economic bases of this province. This type of livelihood has facilitated the presence of some of the zoonotic diseases such as CE and toxocariasis and leishmaniasis.

Data Collection Hospital records of a total of 293 patients who underwent surgery for liver hydatid cyst from 2004 to 2018 in two major university-affiliated hospitals in Fars Province, southern Iran, were retrospectively evaluated. In all cases, the preliminary diagnosis of hydatid cyst has been confirmed by postoperative pathological findings. So, the inclusion criterion of operation with the diagnosis of CE was considered while reviewing the records.

Information such as age, sex, presenting signs and symptoms of hydatid cyst, number and the specific location of cystic structures, history of relapse, reoperation, characteristics of the cyst (calcification, puss discharge, multicystic, multiloculated, daughter cyst, rupture, inflammation, superimposed infection, and septation), early postoperative complications, diagnostic procedures such as ultrasound scanning, computed tomography, X-rays, pathology reports, lab data, operation information and, drug therapy were extracted from the hospital records of each patient. The surgical procedure used for the patients, radical or conservative, was noted.