Surgical management of hepatic hydatid disease has been associated with an overall local recurrence rate of approximately 10%. Local recurrence is rarely seen following complete resection of an intact cyst and is usually the result of spillage of live parasites or leaving a residual cyst wall containing germinal epithelium, daughter cysts, or protoscolices during surgery. Recurrence is frequently asymptomatic, so the diagnosis depends on dedicated follow-up of treated patients with serology and either ultrasonography or computed tomography. The management of locally recurrent disease should include administration of albendazole followed by the appropriate application of interventional radiotherapy or operation. As with the treatment of primary disease, the preservation of liver function and minimizing the risk to the patient remain the guiding principles of therapy of local recurrence.

A series of 39 consecutive patients with proven hepatic hydatid disease have been followed from the time of presentation to Westmead Hospital with 6 monthly ultrasound examinations. In the 32 patients having surgery in this unit, it has been found that the standard operation-evacuation of the cyst in the plane of the laminated membrane, suture of bile duct openings, and omentoplasty--achieved good local control of liver cysts. Further cysts, mainly in the retroperitoneal area, were identified with increasing frequency as time passed. The recurrence rate reached 22% by 30 months. Recurrence was not seen after that time. The longest period of follow-up was 7 years. Not all recurrences required surgical treatment. Small asymptomatic cysts have been simply observed, and some shrink without further treatment. Multivariate analysis showed that the single main determinant of recurrence was evidence of previous cyst rupture before operation.