Percutaneous treatment of a complex hydatid cyst of the liver under sonographic control - Report of the first case

Surgical procedures are considered the gold standard treatment of hydatid cysts. We report the first case of percutaneous treatment of a complex hydatid cyst of the liver, using radio frequency as a scolecidal agent in a 28-year-old man. The procedure was performed under real-time ultrasound control and with the patient under general anesthesia. Injection of alcohol was performed at the end of the procedure to induce retraction of the residual cavity. The percutaneous procedure was associated with oral albendazole therapy. Six months after the procedure, the patient was in very good condition. Liver and blood tests were normal and the cyst cavity was reduced. Further studies are required to define the indication of this new therapeutic strategy of hydatid cyst.