Intermuscular hydatid cyst in the thigh: An unusual presentation

Abstract

Hydatid cyst is the larval form of Echinococcus granulosus. Hydatid cyst or echinococcosis can be found in any part of the body, but the most commonly affected organs are liver, lungs, and the rest in other organs. Echinococcosis of the musculoskeletal system is very unusual and has a reported incidence of only 0.5-4% of patients in the literature. Primary musculoskeletal Echinococcus infection is very rarely reported in India without involving the thoracic and abdominal organs. Here, we are reporting an unusual case of primary intermuscular hydatid cyst involving left thigh in a 75-year-old male patient, which was diagnosed by fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC). In the literature, reports of hydatid cyst diagnosed by FNA are very rare. Here, we are presenting both cytological and histopathologic findings of echinococcosis, which will be helpful in the preoperative diagnosis to avoid anaphylactic shock and local recurrence.

Keywords

• Echinococcosis
• fine needle aspiration cytology
• primary intermuscular
• thigh