Cerebral hydatid disease: Is it primary or secondary?

Abstract

Hydatid disease is a serious medical problem in Mediterranean and particularly among sheep farming countries, caused by larval stages of dog tapeworms belonging to the genus Echinococcus. Hydatid cysts may affect every organ in the human body; however, multiple organ involvement (spleen, adrenal gland, heart, pericardium, intravascular growth of hydatids and brain) without affecting the two major filters in the body liver and the lung was very rare. In this case, myocardial hydatid cyst is considered as primary and involvement of other organs such as brain, spleen, adrenal glands, and vascular involvement are considered as secondary involvement due to the rupture of hydatid in heart. Rarity of this atypical presentation of hydatid disease leads to this case report.

Keywords

• echinococcus
• intracranial
• myocardial hydatid cyst