INTEiRNALMEDlClNE s43 IMP 1012 Ultrasound of Hepatic Hidatid Cvsts Kugler C, Pelaez V, Zabert G, Urrere C.-Clinica Pasteur -Neuqu6n -Argentina Hidatidosis is an endemic illness in Argentina and the patagonia region shows the highest prevalence. With the aim of evaluate the diagnostic confidence of US for hepatic hidatid cyst we retrospectively reviewed the charts of the patient who underwent surgery with diagnosis of hepatic hidatidosis and had been previously studied by us. Between March 1993 and March 1997, 245 cases of hepatic hidatidosis were diagnosed with US in Pasteur Clinic of Neuquen city (Argentina). All the patients were examined with ATL UM9 HDI or ATL UM600 by the same operator.
Gharbi's classification was used: Type I 43%, Type II 23 %, Type Ill 17 %, Type IV 6 % and Type V 9 %. Only 114 patients, with 136 abdominal cysts, underwent surgery in our institution and in 111 cases the illness was pathologically confirmed (positive predictive value 96,5%). The remaining 3 patients, all with Type IV, the final diagnose was: abscess in two and hepatic hemangioma in one. 106 patients were confirmed the number of cysts observed with US method (positively predictive value 92,9 %).ln 5 cases the amount of cysts was incorrect (US under or over diagnosed them ) Conclusion: our data support the high confidence of US in the diagnose of hepatic hidatidosis and prediction of the quantity of existent cysts.