Long-term albendazole treatment in one case of alveolar echinococcosis Case report

Aims: Curative therapy of alveolar echinococcosis is total surgical removal of the infected tissue and concomitant chemotherapy. However, this curative resection can be done on a limited number of patients, for the remaining ones various pallia- tive procedures can be performed. Method : In this article it is aimed to present the result of long- term albendazole treatment in patient who had a palliative hepa- tojejunostomy for obstructive jaundice due to unresectable alveo- lar echinococcosis. Results : Systemic albendazole treatment was initiated in this patient after palliative hepatojejunostomy procedure. During follow up there was no abnormality in blood chemistry and a considerable regression in size of the lesion was found in postoperative month 24. Residual hepatic lesion was histopathologically documented and showed apparently non-viable parasitic cysts by biopsy. These find- ings suggest the long-term albendazole therapy being parasitocidal. Conclusions : Palliative or mass reduction surgery combined with long-term albendazole therapy is the standard therapy for advanced disease, especially when curative resection might result in significant morbidity and mortality. (Acta gastroenterol. belg., 2003, 66, 255-257).