Hepatic hydatid disease requiring urgent treatment during pregnancy

Abstract

BACKGROUND Pregnant women may experience an acute presentation of hepatic hydatid disease. The available literature is limited to case reports. METHODS The charts of 7 patients who underwent urgent treatment for hepatic hydatid disease during pregnancy between 1992 and 2010 were reviewed. RESULTS The median patient age was 27 (range 23-39) years and median gestational age was 18 (range 13-24) weeks. The symptoms were severe abdominal pain (4), vomiting (2), jaundice (2), pruritus (2) and severe dyspepsia (1); in the asymptomatic patient, a closed intraperitoneal rupture had been detected during gynecologic ultrasonography. Surgical drainage of the cysts was performed in all cases. The two patients with frank biliary rupture underwent choledochoduodenostomy or Roux-Y hepaticojejunostomy. Four patients required postoperative tocolysis. Albendazole was not used. All mothers gave birth to healthy babies at term. The patients were followed for a median of 9 (range 4-19) years. Two patients developed recurrences at 2 and 7 years; these were treated with surgical drainage and albendazole. CONCLUSION This entity entails the responsibility of two human beings. Although it imposes limitations on the routine diagnostic and therapeutic options due to risk of premature labor or teratogenicity, acceptable results can be obtained in collaboration with the department of obstetrics and gynecology.