The effect of preoperative albendazole treatment on the cuticular membranes of pulmonary hydatid cysts: should it be administered preoperatively?

THE AIM OF THIS STUDY The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of preoperative albendazole treatment on the tensile strength of the cuticular membranes of pulmonary hydatid cysts. MATERIAL AND METHODS A study including 44 patients operated on for pulmonary hydatid cysts was carried out between January 2009 and November 2010. The patients were divided into two groups according to their preoperative albendazole administration. Seventeen patients (with 20 cysts) in group A were operated on after three cycles of peroral 10 mg/kg/day albendazole treatment, whereas 27 patients (with 29 cysts) in group B underwent the operation without any preoperative administration of albendazole. Fresh tissue tensile stress tests were carried out on the cuticular membranes excised from both groups. RESULTS The results of this study demonstrated that the tensile strength values of the cuticular membrane of the cysts excised from group A were lower than those obtained from group B, with a statistically significant difference. CONCLUSIONS Albendazole treatment decreases the tensile strength of the cuticular membranes of pulmonary hydatid cysts, which may lead to their perforation. The patients should be operated on as soon as possible and without any preoperative medical treatment in order to prevent complications before the definitive surgical operation.