Primary hydatid cyst in the medial thigh

Abstract

The human body is an intermediate host for Echinococcus granulosus (E. granulosus), which is the most common cause of hydatid disease. This type of parasite mostly affects the liver and lungs. Primary involvement of subcutaneous tissue is extremely rare. A 51-year-old female presented with the complaint of swelling on the upper medial right thigh. On ultrasonography, a cystic lesion with thick walls, approximately 50¥90 mm in size, was observed approximately 8.5 mm from the skin within the muscle planes in the medial section of the right thigh. Entry was made over the mass from the medial thigh and the mass was totally excised. The histopathological diagnosis was confirmed as hydatid cyst. No pathological findings consistent with hydatid cyst were determined in the liver or other systems. In particular, in areas of endemic hydatid disease, it must be kept in mind that these types of atypical localizations, other than in the liver and lungs, can be encountered in many different anatomic regions.