Hydatid cyst disease induced by Echinococcus granulosus is a parasitic disease known since ancient times. Today, it continues to be seen in many countries and creates serious problems. The lung is the second most frequently affected organ by hydatid cysts after the liver. Lung involvement is more prevalent in children than adults, and the growth of the cyst is faster in children. Hydatid cysts are mostly seen in the right lower lobe of the lung. Common symptoms are chest pain, cough, and shortness of breath, with the most diagnostic symptom being the expectoration of cyst fluid or membranes. In endemic areas, the diagnosis of hydatid cysts can usually be made easily by clinical findings, serology tests, and radiological findings. When the hydatid cyst ruptures and becomes complicated, it is clinically and radiologically confused with many diseases, especially lung cancer. Surgery is accepted as primary treatment of lung hydatid cysts all over the world. The surgical approach is related to several factors such as the size of the cyst, whether it is intact or complicated, unilateral or bilateral, solitary or multiple, and the presence of destruction of the lung parenchyma. Although it is stated by some surgeons that capitonnage is not required, the most frequently applied surgical technique is cystotomy and capitonnage. Pulmonary resection should be avoided as much as possible, particularly in children. Albendazole or mebendazole treatment in pulmonary hydatid cyst is generally used after surgery and to prevent recurrences. Cite this article as: Aydin Y, Bilal Ulas A, Ahmed AG, Eroglu A. Pulmonary hydatid cyst in children and adults: Diagnosis and management. Eurasian J Med., 2022;54(Suppl. 1):S133-S140.

In recent years, thymectomy has become a widespread procedure in the treatment of myasthenia gravis (MG). Likelihood of remission was highest in preoperative mild disease classification (Osserman classification 1, 2A). In absence of thymoma or hyperplasia, there was no relationship between age and gender in remission with thymectomy. In MG treatment, randomized trials that compare conservative treatment with thymectomy have started, recently. As with non-randomized trials, remission with thymectomy in MG treatment was better than conservative treatment with only medication. There are four major methods for the surgical approach: transcervical, minimally invasive, transsternal, and combined transcervical transsternal thymectomy. Transsternal approach with thymectomy is the accepted standard surgical approach for many years. In recent years, the incidence of thymectomy has been increasing with minimally invasive techniques using thoracoscopic and robotic methods. There are not any randomized, controlled studies which are comparing surgical techniques. However, when comparing non-randomized trials, it is seen that minimally invasive thymectomy approaches give similar results to more aggressive approaches.

Objective: In this study, we researched the availability of Echinococcus IgG ELISA in pulmonary hydatid cysts. Materials and Methods: Between January 2008 and December 2015, 93 successive cases, which were studied in preoperative Echinococcus IgG and histopathologically found to have pulmonary hydatid cysts, were retrospectively analyzed. Age and sex of the cases and the cyst’s location, number, size, spread to other organs outside the lungs, and its condition as intact or ruptured were reviewed. Results: Forty-seven (50.5%) patients were male and 46 (49.5%) patients were female; the mean age was 27.7±19.6 years. While in 56 (60.2%) cases, only lung cysts were detected, 32 (34.4%) cases presented with both lung and liver cysts. While lung cysts were single in 71 (76.3%), they were multiple in 22 (23.6%) cases (between 2 and 20 pieces). In 48 (51.6%) cases, cysts were in the right lung, and in 32 (34.4%) cases, they were in the left. In 13 (14%) cases, cysts presented in both the right and left lungs. The mean diameter of the pulmonary cysts was 6.4 cm (ranging from 2 to 19 cm). In 53 (57%) cases, hydatid cysts were ruptured, whereas in 40 (43%) cases, the cysts were intact. While general Echinococcus IgG was found to be positive in 53 (57%) cases, it was negative in 40 (43%) cases. There were 53 ruptured cases, and 48 (90.6%) of them were test-positive; however, the test was positive in only 5 (12.5%) out of the 40 cases where the cysts were intact (p<0.001). A statistically significant correlation has not been found between IgG and patient age, gender, cyst location, number of cysts, cyst diameter, and extrapulmonary involvement. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that the most important factor that affects the positivity of Echinococcus IgG is the rupture of cysts. When ruptured cysts become confusing, Echinococcus IgG can contribute toward a diagnosis. Cite this article as: Aydin Y, Altuntas B, Kaya A, Ulas AB, Uyanık MH, Eroglu A. The Availability of Echinococcus IgG ELISA for Diagnosing Pulmonary Hydatid Cysts. Eurasian J Med 2018; 50(3): 144-147.

This study investigated the efficacy and complications of albendazole use after surgery in patients with pulmonary hydatid cysts. One hundred fifty-three consecutive patients who met the study criteria out of 215 patients who received prophylaxis with albendazole after surgery for isolated pulmonary hydatid cysts in our clinic between January 2011 and December 2020 were analysed retrospectively. Eighty-six out of 153 (56.2%) of cases were male and 67 (43.8%) were female. The average age was 24.6 ± 17.4 (between 3 and 71 years), 76 of them (49.7%) were 18 years old and younger, while 77 (50.3%) were adults. All cases were approached transthoracically and a total of 170 operations were performed on the 153 cases. Fever, weakness and dizziness were reported in only one patient who was given albendazole treatment. A partial increase in liver enzymes was observed in 16 cases (10.5%) after albendazole treatment. Mild leukopoenia and neutropenia were observed in only one of the cases. In 1 case, a second operation was performed 30 months later due to recurrence. Albendazole treatment was not required to be discontinued in any of the cases. Mortality was not observed in any of the cases. Factors such as mean age, cyst size and hospitalization period did not have a statistically significant effect on any changes in liver enzymes tests following albendazole therapy (P > 0.05). Albendazole treatment can safely be used for postoperative prophylaxis in patients with pulmonary hydatid cysts in a controlled manner without causing serious complications. 152.