Epidemiology and clinical characteristics in patients with hydatid cyst undergoing surgery at Besat Hospital of Hamadan, Iran

BACKGROUND: Hydatid cyst is one of the most dangerous zoonoses caused by the larval stage of Echinococcus granulosus. Our aim was to determine the epidemiology of hydatidosis and the clinical characteristics of patients with hydatid cyst who had surgery at Besat Hospital of Hamadan, Iran, from 2006 to 2016. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted on all patients diagnosed with hydatid cyst who then had undergone a surgery at Besat Hospital of Hamadan, Iran, from 2006 to 2016. Demographic characteristics of the patients, the affected organs, their clinical features, drug history, and operation history were recorded. The collected data were analyzed in SPSS software. RESULTS: The mean age in this study was 38.63 years. Among the participants, 138 (53.9%) were women and 118 (46.1%) were men. Among all patients, 100 (39.1%) were urban and 156 (60.9%) were rural residents. The rural population was significantly more affected by hydatid cyst than the urban population (P < 0.001). Female housewives (44.1%) were the most affected by this disease (P < 0.001). The liver was the most commonly involved organ (52.3%), followed by the lungs (31.2%). CONCLUSION: Hydatid cyst has a global spread, causing massive human involvement and, if not treated properly, will result in death. Echinococcosis is a recurrent disease and a serious public health challenge.