<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

Conservative treatment of human hydatidosis (cystic echinococcosis) with albendazole has improved significantly the prognosis of the disease. But its therapeutic effectiveness is 30 – 70 %. There is some evidence that the effectiveness of albendazole can be enhanced by praziquantel but there is no strict recommendation for the use of praziquantel as part of long-term drug therapy for hydatidosis.
The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the combination of albendazole and praziquantel in patients with hepatic and/or pulmonary hydatidosis.
A total of 20 patients (aged 12 – 70 years old) were included in the study for a 5-year period. Fourteen patients (70 %) were with hepatic hydatidosis, 4 (20 %) with pulmonary and 2 (10 %) with hepatic and pulmonary hydatidosis. They were treated with albendazole (15 mg/kg/day) and praziquantel (40 mg/kg/weekly) for 2 – 9 one-month courses. The result of the therapy was followed using imaging (abdominal ultrasound, lung radiography, computed tomography) and serology.
Seventeen (85 %) out of 20 patients showed evidence of response on imaging defined as improvement or cure of hydatid cysts. Seven (35 %) of the patients with multiple cystic echinococcosis took praziquantel once a week for 6 months. Only 3 patients (15 %) with multiple hydatidosis (2 with liver and 1 with pulmonary hydatidosis) failed to respond to the therapy with both drugs. No side effects have been reported by the patients.
The combination of albendazole and praziquantel seems to be an option to improve the therapeutic effectiveness of the conservative treatment of cystic echinococcosis.
</abstract>

Conservative treatment of human hydatidosis (cystic echinococcosis) with albendazole has improved significantly the prognosis of the disease. But its therapeutic effectiveness is 30 – 70 %. There is some evidence that the effectiveness of albendazole can be enhanced by praziquantel but there is no strict recommendation for the use of praziquantel as part of long-term drug therapy for hydatidosis.
The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the combination of albendazole and praziquantel in patients with hepatic and/or pulmonary hydatidosis.
A total of 20 patients (aged 12 – 70 years old) were included in the study for a 5-year period. Fourteen patients (70 %) were with hepatic hydatidosis, 4 (20 %) with pulmonary and 2 (10 %) with hepatic and pulmonary hydatidosis. They were treated with albendazole (15 mg/kg/day) and praziquantel (40 mg/kg/weekly) for 2 – 9 one-month courses. The result of the therapy was followed using imaging (abdominal ultrasound, lung radiography, computed tomography) and serology.
Seventeen (85 %) out of 20 patients showed evidence of response on imaging defined as improvement or cure of hydatid cysts. Seven (35 %) of the patients with multiple cystic echinococcosis took praziquantel once a week for 6 months. Only 3 patients (15 %) with multiple hydatidosis (2 with liver and 1 with pulmonary hydatidosis) failed to respond to the therapy with both drugs. No side effects have been reported by the patients.
The combination of albendazole and praziquantel seems to be an option to improve the therapeutic effectiveness of the conservative treatment of cystic echinococcosis.

Treatment of hepatic and pulmonary hydatidosis with albendazole and praziquantel

University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy

Helminthologia

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

{"article-title":"Treatment of hepatic and pulmonary hydatidosis with albendazole and praziquantel"}

Conservative treatment of human hydatidosis (cystic echinococcosis) with albendazole has improved significantly the prognosis of the disease. But its...

Sex distribution	12 males/8 females
Age	12 – 70 (42.8 ± 7.8)
Number of liver cysts	32
Number of lung cysts	15
Number of cysts/patient	1 – 5 (2.35 ± 0.59)
Size of cysts	18 – 60 mm (37.8 ± 3.03)
Duration of the treatment with praziquantel	2 – 6 months (3.8 ± 0.85)
Prior treatment with albendazole	in 11 patients
Follow up	12 – 48 months (32.4 ± 5.96)

Stage of liver hydatid cysts before treatment with praziquantel	Number of cysts
	Cure	Improvement	No change	Total
CE1	4	2	1	7
CE2	-	1	1	2
CE3a	2	1	-	3
CE3b	14	2	4	20
Total	20 (62.6 %)	6 (18.7 %)	6 (18.7 %)	32 (100 %)

Treatment of hepatic and pulmonary hydatidosis with albendazole and praziquantel

Published Online: Dec 26, 2023

Page range: 221 - 226

Received: Jan 26, 2023

Accepted: Jul 27, 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/helm-2023-0028

Keywords
hydatidosis, cystic echinococcosis, albendazole, praziquantel

© 2023 G. Popova et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Fig. 1.

Fig. 2.

Fig. 3.

Patients with CE treated with albendazole and praziquantel.

Results of the treatment of hepatic hydatid cysts with albendazole and praziquantel.

Treatment of hepatic and pulmonary hydatidosis with albendazole and praziquantel

Published Online: Dec 26, 2023

Page range: 221 - 226

Received: Jan 26, 2023

Accepted: Jul 27, 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/helm-2023-0028

Keywordshydatidosis, cystic echinococcosis, albendazole, praziquantel

© 2023 G. Popova et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Fig. 1.

Fig. 2.

Fig. 3.

Patients with CE treated with albendazole and praziquantel.

Results of the treatment of hepatic hydatid cysts with albendazole and praziquantel.

Keywords
hydatidosis, cystic echinococcosis, albendazole, praziquantel