Hydatid cyst of the liver invading the inferior vena cava

Abstract

Hydatid disease is a parasitic infestation due to the development of Echinococcus granulosus in the organism. This disease is particularly frequent in Morocco where echinococcosis is endemic. The liver is the most common organ to be affected by hydatidosis, and several complications have been described. Vascular complications secondary to hepatic echinococcosis such as fistulization or rupture of hydatid liver cysts to the inferior vena cava (IVC) are an extremely rare and life-threatening condition. This report aims to describe a case of invasion of the IVC by a hydatid cyst of the liver resulting in portal hypertension in a 60-year-old female patient. The diagnosis was established in the preoperative phase by a CT scan. IVC invasion remains an infrequent complication that should be routinely looked for in patients with hydatid disease of the liver, and few cases have been reported in the literature to date.

Keywords

• Hydatid cyst
• Liver
• Rupture
• Diagnosis
• CT-scan