An Alternative Method for Percutaneous Treatment Of Hydatid Cysts: PAI Technique.

OBJECTIVE: Surgery is still the first choice in complicated cystic echinococcosis. However, percutaneous methods have performed increasingly in recent years. The Puncture, Aspiration, Injection, Reaspiration (PAIR) technique is mostly the preferred percutaneous method. The Puncture, Aspiration, Injection (PAI) technique is the new modified method, which is differentiated from PAIR technique by its applicability to all types of hydatid cysts (types 1-5) and unperforming of reaspiration. METHODS: The 52 hydatid cysts were prospectively examined in the study. Thirty-four of them were Types I and II, 13 of them were Type III, and 5 of them were Types IV and V. The technique was performed using the 20 G Chiba needle under the guidance of ultrasonography. Maximum cyst contents were aspirated immediately after the puncture to reduce the intracystic pressure. After confirming that aspirated liquid does not contain bile and that cyst has no cystobiliary connection, 95% alcohol was injected into the cavity, safely. Reaspiration of alcohol was not performed. RESULTS: The cyst sizes were reduced after PAI on ultrasonographic evaluations in all cases. The liquid component disappeared and the cyst got solid characteristic three months after the procedure. CONCLUSION: All hydatid cyst types can be treated safely and effectively with PAI technique without considering dimensions and whether.