Surgery remains the main form of treatment for hydatid disease in humans. Care is necessary in removing the cyst, as rupture may cause spillage and seeding of further cysts.
Although the mortality for such surgery is low, the morbidity is high. This means there is a high rate of complications and recovery may be slow. The decision to operate on a patient with hydatid disease is not always straightforward.
Healthy patients with cysts in the liver should be operated on, as there are few risks.
Those with cysts in the brain, the bones and the spine may demand operation because of the risk to life or proper functioning.
Elderly, unfit patients, especially if the cysts show evidence of calcification, indicating the contents may not contain living parasites, are usually best left alone.
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