H. El-Khushman, A. Sharara, J. Momani, A. Al-Suleihat, M. Al ...

his serological tests were negative. This reflects the
low sensitivity of the tests and its low value in
confirming or ruling out a suspected diagnosis.
Treatment of pulmonary hydatid disease remains
essentially surgical. Surgery aims to remove the
parasite and to treat associated parenchymal,
bronchial, or pleural damage. During surgery,
spillage of hydatid fluid must be rigorously avoided.
Benzoimidazole carbonates are effective against
hydatidosis, and the first drug used was
mebendazole. More recently, albendazole seems to
be more effective and is widely used. Even if the
parasite may be destroyed, this treatment does not
resolve the problem of the cystic cavity that
generally communicates with airways and contains a
foreign body: the hydatid membrane, a condition
leading to infection and further complications.
Medical treatment is only valuable in three specific
instances: disseminated disease (including
secondary lung hydatidosis or pleural hydatidosis),
poor surgical risk patients, and intraoperative
spillage of hydatid fluid.
Conclusion
FOB evaluation with cytological and
histopathological examination of the material
obtained is an important method for the diagnosis of
complicated pulmonary hydatid disease.
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Vol. 15 No. 2 August 2008
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