In Vitro Study of Scolicidal Effect of Methylene Blue in Hydatid Cyst

To prevent inadvertent rupture of the hydatid cyst during surgery, various scolicidal materials would be injected into the cysts, but they could cause various side effects on the body of the host. In the current study, the effects of the scolicidal methylene blue on protoscolices of hydatid cyst was evaluated. In this study, 50 sheep liver samples infected to hydatid cyst were collected. Each sample had at least one prolific cyst containing live protoscolices confirmed with candle flame shape movements of them and shakes of their internal ingredients as well as staining by eosin dye. The samples were categorized in three groups of positive control, negative control, and test groups regarding to their exposure to saturated hypertonic saline, normal saline, and methylene blue, respectively. Life signs of protoscolices were examined under visible microscope at 2, 4, 8, and 16 minutes after exposure to the dyes. Methylene blue and normal saline had no effects on protoscolices at the end of the mentioned times and all the protoscolices were live after 16 minutes, but saturated hypertonic saline killed 95% of protoscolices at the end 4 minutes and all of them were died till 16 minutes. The results of this study manifested that Methylene blue has no effects on killing of protoscolices, so it is suggested that future studies should be done to find an effective scolicidal material with no side effect on human body.