Pulmonary hydatid cyst in Duhok province

Abstract EN

Background and objectives Thoracic surgery unit in Duhok was established in 2006 since then the majority of our thoracotomy was for treating pulmonary hydatid cysts and its complications.

It is evident that pulmonary hydatid cyst is major problem in Duhok province.

Hydatid cyst disease is known to be endemic in many parts of Iraq and Duhok province is one of them.

As pulmonary hydatid cyst are common in Duhok, the study aims to discuss its incidence , the way they present and the variation of symptoms from being asymptomatic to severe complications of ruptured cysts , beside the methods used for treatment.

Methods Duhok is the centre of the province and is the only place in the province where thoracic surgery is available, nearly all cases of pulmonary hydatid cysts from all over the province are referred to Duhok centre.

These cases are studied and evaluated before and after surgical management in order to find what is the best way of treating them.

The types of surgery used in these cases are discussed as well as their complications.

It’s a retro and prospective study including 100 cases of pulmonary hydatid cyst operated upon January 2007 and April 2011.

The study include the age of the patient the size of cyst ,the compliant of the patient and whether the cyst was complicated or not, the types of surgery performed with its morbidity and mortality.

Results Hundred patients had been operated by the authors in hospitals of Duhok province (public and private).

Majority of patients is aged between 11 40 years, all of them through thoracotomy incision, cyst (s) removed with preserving lung tissue in 86 % where resection done in 14 % of cases, re exploration in 2 % and no mortality recorded.

Conclusions Surgical management is only proved curable therapy for pulmonary hydatid, multiplicity of cysts is not uncommon surgery is highly successful with no or very low mortality rate.