Late biliary complications in human alveolar echinococcosis are associated with high mortality

Table 1 Comparison of patients with and without late biliary complications

	Patients with late biliary complications (n = 26)	Control group without late biliary complications (n = 32)	P1value
Male	42.30%	37.50%	NS
Year of AE diagnosis	1967-1997	1979-2003
Age at AE diagnosis, (yr)	55.5 (35.5-65)	60.0 (44.2-64.6)	NS
Previous liver surgery	13 (50)	5 (15.6)	0.009
Years between AE diagnosis and first biliary complication, (yr)	15.0 (8.3-19.0 )	NA
Age at first biliary complication, (yr)	64.5 (54.0-75.8)	NA
Deaths during follow-up until 2006	15 (57.7)	5 (15.6)	NA2
Liver related	5	1
Non-liver related	10	4
Age at death, (yr)	80.0 (67.5-81 )	78.5 (65.0-85.1)	NS
Benzimidazole treatment (total) , (yr)	13.0 (8.1-20.0)	7.2 (4.2-16.1)	0.0404
Follow-up (total) , (yr)	23.0 (13.0-25.0)	8.6 (5.1-18.8)	< 0.0001
Follow-up of survivors until study endpoint (end of 2006 or drop-out), (yr)	11	27
From AE diagnosis	- 24.0 (23.0-29.0)	7.1 (5.0-14.7)	0.0001
From biliary complication	- 9.0 (7.3-11.8)	NA
Follow-up until death, (yr)	15	5	NS
From AE diagnosis	15.0 (11.0-24.5)	21.2 (9.7-25.1 )
From biliary complication	2.0 (1.5-5.0)	NA

Data are expressed as absolute numbers (percentage) or median (quartiles). Comparison of patients with and without late biliary complications. ¹For statistical analyses Fisher’s exact test was used for gender and outcome (death); for all other comparisons the Mann-Whitney U test was employed;

²Direct comparison is not appropriate at this point since time of follow up is different for both patient groups. After adjustment for this difference in the survival analysis (compare Figure 2), no significant difference remained. AE: Alveolar echinococcosis; NA: Not applicable; NS: No significant.