Giant hydatid cyst of the interventricular septum mimicking acute myocardial infarction on ECG: an unusual cause of ST segment elevation

A Case of Isolated Cardiac Hydatid Cyst that Mimics Lymphoproliferative Malignancy

Cardiac cystic echinococcosis is a rare parasitic infestation caused by Echinococcus granulosus larvae and it composes 0.5-2% of all human cystic echinococcosis cases. The left ventricle is the most common affected area followed by right ventricle, interventricular septum, left atrium, right atrium, and interatrial septum. The diagnosis is difficult because of nonspecific clinical and radiographic findings. We present a case of isolated apical cardiac cystic echinococcosis mimicking lymphoproliferative disease.

Giant cardiac hydatid cyst in children: case report and review of the literature

Cardiac echinococcus is a rare affliction of the heart caused by the tapeworm Echinococcus granulosus. Primary echinococcosis of the heart represents 0.5–2% of all hydatid disease cases in endemic regions. It evolves slowly, explaining its rarity in children. We report the case of a 11-year-old child affected by a giant cardiac cyst of the left ventricle (LV). The patient underwent cardiac surgery and medical treatment. A retrospective review of the current literature was realized. We found 18 cases: the mean age was 11-years old. Nine cysts were localized in the LV, four in the interventricular septum, three in the right ventricle, and two in the right atrium. All underwent surgery except six patients. Routine echocardiographic screening may be useful in endemic regions where infestation is common. Cardiac echinococcus should be diagnosed in the early and uncomplicated stages and be removed surgically even in asymptomatic patients.

Incidentally detected cardiac cyst hydatid after blunt thoracic trauma

Cardiac involvement in hydatid disease is more seldom than the involvement of the liver and the lungs. Cardiac cyst hydatid disease is diagnosed incidentally or by means of symptoms such as dyspnea and angina pectoris. Here, we present the case of a 45-year-old male patient who underwent open heart surgery for a randomly detected cardiac cyst hydatid during investigations carried out in a healthcare institution after accidentally falling from height. On the other hand, this patient did not have any complaints associated with hydatid disease before this event.

Cardiac involvement with parasitic infections

Parasitic infections previously seen only in developing tropical settings can be currently diagnosed worldwide due to travel and population migration. Some parasites may directly or indirectly affect various anatomical structures of the heart, with infections manifested as myocarditis, pericarditis, pancarditis, or pulmonary hypertension. Thus, it has become quite relevant for clinicians in developed settings to consider parasitic infections in the differential diagnosis of myocardial and pericardial disease anywhere around the globe. Chagas' disease is by far the most important parasitic infection of the heart and one that it is currently considered a global parasitic infection due to the growing migration of populations from areas where these infections are highly endemic to settings where they are not endemic. Current advances in the treatment of African trypanosomiasis offer hope to prevent not only the neurological complications but also the frequently identified cardiac manifestations of this life-threatening parasitic infection. The lack of effective vaccines, optimal chemoprophylaxis, or evidence-based pharmacological therapies to control many of the parasitic diseases of the heart, in particular Chagas' disease, makes this disease one of the most important public health challenges of our time.