Predictive factors of morbidity after surgical treatment of hydatid cyst of the liver

Abstract Background and study aims Hepatic hydatid cyst is a major health problem in endemic areas. Surgery is still the best choice for treatment of the hydatid cyst of the liver. However, it is still associated with high mortality and morbidity. The aim of the study was to evaluate the predictive factors for specific morbidity after conservative surgical treatment of the hydatid cyst of the liver. Patients and methods A total of 120 patients who underwent conservative surgical treatment between 2001 and 2011 were evaluated retrospectively. Results Of the 120 patients, 64 were female subjects and 56 male subjects; the median age was 33 years (14–83 years). The mortality rate was 0%. The overall morbidity rate was 26.6%. The specific morbidity rate was 16.6%. The major specific complications were infection of the residual cavity in 10 cases and an external biliary fistula in eight cases. The predictive factors of morbidity in univariate analysis were bilious cyst content, location of the cyst in the hepatic dome, and size >10 cm. After multivariate analysis, only the size of the cyst was an independent predictive factor of morbidity. Conclusion The size of the cyst was the significant predictor of morbidity of conservative surgery for liver hydatid cyst.