Meta-analysis of hydatid disease in Iranian children

Background: Hydatid disease is still a significant risk worldwide. It is a parasitic infection in many cattle and sheep breeding areas, including Iran. Objective: The aim of this article is to review the clinical symptoms, laboratory parameters, imaging findings, and management of hydatid disease. Patients and Methods: Data were collected from medical records of patients with hydatid disease in eight hospitals in different provinces of Iran from 2001 to 2014. Results: Overall, 161 children with a mean age of 9.25 years (age range = 1-15 years) hospitalized with hydatid cyst disease between 2010 and 2024 were studied. The male to female ratio was 1.6:1. The most common organ involved in this regard was the lung (67.1%) followed by the liver (44.1%), and the combination of lung and liver accounted for 15.5% of the total. Cysts were mostly located in the right side of the liver and lung. The most common symptoms were fever (35.4%) and abdominal pain (31.7%), and the most common symptoms were abdominal mass in the liver and cough. Also, a high number of eosinophils was reported in 41% of the samples. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate or C-reactive protein was positive in 18.6% of the patients and leukocytosis was more than 150,000/micl in 29.2% of the patients. Ultrasonography was the main test with an accuracy of more than 96% and chest X-ray was performed in 88.6% of the patients. A survey was performed in 89% of the patients and selected patients were considered for medical treatment or injection. Conclusion: The lung was the most common organ involved in the children studied. Given the high probability of multiorgan involvement, we recommend that patients with hydatid be evaluated by ultrasonography and X-ray. In endemic areas, eosinophilia should be considered as a parasitic disease, as should hydatid and its complications.