Percutaneous drainage as a first therapeutic step prior to surgery in liver hydatid cyst abscess: Is it worth it?

Aim: To delay surgery until the patient is in a better condition, and thus to decrease postoperative morbidity.

Methods: Using this algorithm we treated three patients aged 55, 75 and 80 years. In all three patients the clinical presentation was fever without a clear source of infection; all had nonspecific symptoms such as general malaise, dyspnea, and abdominal discomfort in the previous 15 d.