Background: Hydatid disease of the lungs is still a serious health problem for some Mediterranean countries. The best surgical therapy for the treatment of this disease is still unclear. In this clinical retrospective study, we aimed to investigate whether capitonnage is an effective therapy method for a pulmonary hydatid cyst or not.
Methods: Between 1990 and 2004, 89 patients (49 male and 40 female) each with a pulmonary hydatid cyst were treated surgically. The patients were divided into two groups based on whether capitonnage was carried out (group 1, n = 44) or not (group 2, n = 45). Cystotomy and the closure of the bronchial openings were carried out in both groups. The results were assessed in two groups during a 1 year follow-up period. The groups were comparable with regards to their clinical, operative and demographic characteristics.
Results: There was no mortality, and no significant difference in hospitalisation time between the two groups. It was 8.2 +/- 3.2 days for group 1 and 8 +/- 3.1 days for group 2 (P = 0.89). The most serious complications were restricted bronchopleural fistula (only one patient in group 2), empyema (only one patient in group 1 and two patients in group 2), and prolonged air leak (five patients in group 1 and six patients in group 2). These results were not valuable statistically (P = 1.00, P = 1.00 and P = 0.78, respectively).
Conclusions: We conclude that it is not an advantage to carry out capitonnage when treating pulmonary hydatid cysts.