Purpose: Echinococcosis, also known as hydatidosis, is a zoonosis that is endemic in many countries worldwide. Liver hydatid cysts have a wide variety of clinical manifestations, among which obstructive jaundice is one of the rarer forms. The aims of the study were to analyze the preoperative management of these patients and to record the kind of surgical treatment performed and the short- and long-term postoperative results.
Methods: A retrospective two-center observational study of patients operated upon for liver hydatidosis with initial symptoms of obstructive jaundice. Preoperative characteristics, surgical data, and postoperative complications, including biliary fistula, were recorded.
Results: Of 353 patients operated upon for liver hydatidosis, 44 were included in the study. Thirty-five patients (79.6%) were defined as CE2 or CE3 in the World Health Organization (WHO) classification. Preoperative endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) was performed in 25 patients (56.8%) and identified intrabiliary communication in 29. Radical surgery was carried out in 29 of the total sample (65.9%). Severe postoperative complications (Clavien-Dindo grade IIIA or higher) were recorded in 25% of patients. The factors associated with greater postoperative morbidity were age above 65 (HR 8.76 [95% CI 0.78-97.85]), cyst location (HR 4.77 [95% CI 0.93-24.42]), multiple cysts (HR 14.58 [95% CI 1.42-149.96]), and cyst size greater than 5 cm (HR 6.88 [95% CI 0.95-50]).
Conclusion: The presentation as obstructive jaundice causes greater postoperative morbidity. The main postoperative complication in these cases, despite radical surgery, is biliary fistula. In our series, routine preoperative ERCP did not show any benefit.
Keywords: Cystobiliary communication; ERCP; Jaundice; Liver hydatid cyst.