Spleen-Sparing surgical treatment for hydatidosis of the spleen

Abstract

To present the surgical therapeutic aspects of splenic preservation in hydatid cysts of the spleen between January 2000 and December 2003. 15 patients with clinically and sonographically highly suspected splenic hydatid cysts were treated in Al- Jamhoory teaching hospital and AI-Zahrawi private hospital in Mosul city by cyst enucleation and drainage preserving their spleens. There were 8 women and 7 men. The average cyst diameter was 8 cm (4- 25 cm). In 9 patients (60%) the spleen was only involved while in 6 patients (40%) the liver was involved too. In 3 patients (20%), cysts were secondarily infected and in 2 patients(13%), the cysts were complex and contained numerous daughter cysts .There was only one postoperative patient (6.6%) with a recurrence 14 months post surgery requiring re-operation. Splenic preservation in hydatid cyst of the spleen is a technically feasible, simple and efficacious therapy without significant post operative complications or recurrence.