Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology, cilt.36, sa.10, ss.1567-1575, 2025 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of percutaneous treatment for all types of extrahepatic cystic echinococcosis (CE) in various atypical locations. Materials and Methods: This study included 31 patients (16 males and 15 females; median age, 46 years; range, 15–74 years) with 32 extrahepatic hydatid cysts treated percutaneously between July 2013 and September 2024. Splenic hydatid cysts constituted the largest subgroup (n = 12). The remaining cysts were located in various regions, including intramuscular (n = 5), peritoneal (n = 5), perirenal (n = 3), renal (n = 2), pancreatic (n = 1), paracolic (n = 1), paravesical (n = 1), sacral (n = 1), and infratemporal fossa (n = 1). Sixteen patients with CE1 and CE3a cysts underwent the puncture, aspiration, injection, and reaspiration (PAIR) procedure, whereas 15 patients with CE2 and CE3b cysts or symptomatic CE4 and CE5 cysts were treated with the modified catheterization technique (MoCaT), which involves the complete evacuation of cyst content via a catheter with saline irrigation, unlike PAIR, and is followed by sclerotherapy. Results: Clinical success was 96.9%, with 1 case of residual disease in the MoCaT group. Two severe adverse events (6.5%) were observed, one abscess requiring drainage and one anaphylaxis responsive to medical management. The median cyst volume reduction was 83.2% (range, 45.9%–100%). No recurrences occurred during a median follow-up of 36 months (range, 3–126 months). Conclusions: Percutaneous management of extrahepatic CE is a minimally invasive, effective and safe approach that offers advantages such as the preservation of organ tissue and function, low adverse event and recurrence rates, and shorter hospital stays.