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Objectives: Pulmonary hydatid cyst in pediatric patients is uncommon in clinical practice. The purpose of this study was to determine the best indications of the thoracospic surgery for the treatment of the pulmonary hydatid cysts in children. The management and treatment principles of children with hydatid cyst in lung were discussed with the data reported in the literature.
Methods: Of the diagnosed in 136 patients, 24 were pediatric patients in the last 10-year period. There were 10 boys (42%) and 14 girls (58%). We retrospectively analyzed the patients’ sex, age, symptoms, biological data, characteristics of hydatid cysts (location, number and size) and the treatments. Pulmonary hydatid cyst diagnosis was performed on chest x-ray, abdominal ultrasound and thoracic tomography in all cases. All patients underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). The additional mini thoracotomy was conducted in large hydatid cyst cases. All the patients had a chest tube and received an antibio-prophylaxy, without Albendazole.
Results: Twenty patients were treated surgically with no complications. We performed VATS +cystotomy +capitonnage, while in some cases we performed cystectomy, wedge resection and lobectomy. Three patients were complicated by related prolonged air leaked, all of them treated by second surgery in our clinic. There was no mortality.
Conclusion: Video thoracoscopic surgery is a good technique for the treatment of hydatid cysts in children. It is less painful and it is characterized by a low short-term and long-term morbidity as well as good cosmesis. However, it should be reserved for small size cysts<5 cm and patient age is over five years old.