Objective To summarize the experience of diagnosis and treatment of acute abdominal pain caused by hepatic hydatid. Methods The preoperative diagnosis, the surgical methods and the curative effect after operation of 297 patients with acute abdominal pain caused by hepatic hydatid who were treated in our hospital from 1960 to 2004 were analyzed. Results The healing rate was 95.96% (285/297 cases), and the death rate was 4.04% (12 /297 cases). Six out of 12 cases of death were caused by diffusive biliary peritonitis and allergic shock attributable to the rapture of hydatid into abdominal cavity. Two patients died of malnutrition caused by the spreading of Echinococcus and the correspondingly repeated operations. Another 4 patients with giant hydatid containing 7 000-12 000 ml fluid, died of hepatic insufficiency caused by the postoperative infection in the cyst. Conclusion The acute abdominal pain caused by hepatic hydatid should be treated mainly through emergency operation and the necessary antianaphylaxis, anti-infection and antishock therapies should also be used at the same time.