The sonographic appearance of 141 hepatic and abdominal hydatid cysts was studied in 63 patients undergoing therapy with benzoimidazolic compounds. The cysts were evaluated for size, margins of the cyst wall, and echo pattern of cyst contents to establish the response to the drugs. Changes seen on ultrasound (US) scans were classified as decrease in size, detachment of the cyst membrane, and appearance of echogenic material (matrix) in the cyst cavity. These findings, particularly the diffusely hyperechoic pattern, are explained on the basis of the action of the drugs. Twenty-one patients underwent surgery at the end of treatment. The US patterns of treated hydatid cysts are similar to those seen, though more rarely, in cases of spontaneous parasite involution in long-standing hydatidosis.
The study confirms that second primary melanoma is usually thinner than the first lesion, and it is more common in the same region of the body as the initial melanoma. The highest risk for a second melanoma is during the first 5 years, but a much longer time interval of 28 years is possible. Continued medical follow-up with complete skin examinations seems prudent, but it is very important to promote self-skin evaluation in patients to detect not only metastases but also subsequent primary melanomas in their earliest phases.
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