A Heavily Giant Calcified Hydatid Cyst of the Liver with Thoracic Involvement Presenting as an Abdominal Mass (A Very Rare Case Report): The Role of Imaging

Abstract

Hydatid disease is common in the tropics. It is caused by infection with the larval stage of Echinococcus tapeworm. Infestation of humans, who are accidentally the intermediate host, occurs from ingestion of water or food contaminated by fecal material of definitive host (dog, wolves, deer, sheeps). The most frequent organ of involvement is the liver in up to 70%, followed by the lung about 18% and with a lower reported incidence in other organs or tissues in the body. It primarily affects the liver and shows typical imaging findings. However clinical presentation varies widely and is non specific. Thus, imaging plays an important role in diagnosis of hydatid diseases. Ultrasound (US), computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can depict hydatid disease. The imaging methods used depend on involved organ and the radiological findings which range from purely cystic lesions to completely solid appearance. We report a very rare case of a calcified huge hydatid cyst in a 42 year old patient to buttress the role of imaging in management of such cases.