Hepato-thoracic Cystic Echinococcosis Transit. Clinical Features, Postoperative Complications and Hospital Mortality. A Systematic Review

Background: Hepato-thoracic hydatid transit (HTT) is an evolutionary complication of hepatic cystic echinococcosis. This study aimed to report the available evidence regarding postoperative complications (POC) and hospital mortality (HM).

Methods: Systematic review. Studies related to HTT were included. Searches were performed in Trip Database, SciELO, BIREME-BVS, WoS, PubMed, EMBASE and SCOPUS.

Primary Outcomes: POC and HM.

Secondary Outcomes: publication date, origin and designs, number of patients, cyst type, hospital stance, treatments; and methodological quality (MQ) of studies applying MInCir-T and MInCir-Pr scales. Descriptive statistics, weighted means (WM) and their comparison using least squares logistic regression, and meta-analysis of prevalence of POC and HM were applied.

Results: 604 studies were retrieved (101 met selection criteria, representing 1020 patients). WM age: 42.6 years, 58.3 % male. Reports are mainly from Spain (19.8 %) and Turkey (17.8 %). With a WM of 18.3 days of hospital stance, it was verified 28.9 % of POC, 12.6 % needed re-interventions, and 9.7 % died. MQ of studies: 9.1 ± 1.9 (MInCir-T) and 13.2 ± 2.9 (MInCir-Pr). Comparing the behavior of variables in two periods (1983-2002 vs. 2003-2024), statistically significant differences were observed in POC, HM, and reinterventions.

Conclusion: HTT is associated with high POC, and significant HM, despite the passage of time.