Primary Hydatid Cyst of the Thyroid Gland

Abstract

Primary hydatid cyst of thyroid gland is an exceptional localization even in Morocco where echinococcal disease is endemic. A 23-year-old woman presented with multiples cystic lesions of the thyroid revealed by neck mass and dyspnea. She underwent a subtotal thyroidectomy. The diagnosis of hydatid cyst was made preoperatively and was confirmed by histological studies. Further investigation failed to identify any other evidence of systemic hydatidosis. The patient has remained asymptomatic for 24 months after surgery. The possibility of hydatid disease, though rare, should be always kept in mind, for patients with cystic lesions of the thyroid, because a needle aspiration biopsy is a potentially harmful procedure.

Hydatid cyst of the thyroid gland with tracheal fistula: A case report and review of the literature

“…Hydatid disease is a parasitic infection with worldwide prevalence (4). A hydatid cyst of Echinococcus granulosus may develop in any part of the body (5)(6)(7)(8). Although it mostly tends to form cysts in the liver (75%) or lung (15%), other organs of the body, including the brain, heart, bones, muscle, kidney and pancreas, may also be affected (8)(9)(10)(11).…”

“…A high circulatory flow rate in the thyroid gland may have an important role in the development of the thyroid hydatid cyst (6,8,9). It remains elusive how the relatively high thyroid blood flow is paralleled with a disproportionately low incidence of thyroid cyst disease, but one theory indicates that the relatively small caliber of the thyroid arteries together with their position at a right angle to the carotids is an anatomical arrangement that is thought to offer the thyroid gland a certain measure of protection against the invading parasite (4).…”

“…The specific duration of taking the drug was not specified in two of the studies. The dose of albendazole was 400 mg/day in 4 of the studies (22,23,25,27) and 10 mg/kg/day based on the weight of the patient in one study (24).…”

Disseminated Echinococcosis of the Lung and Central Compartment of the Neck

“…The small diameter of the thyroid gland's vasculature prevents the incidence of seeding of the embryo into the gland. 5 Mediastinal sites of primary hydatid include the superior mediastinum, pericardium and the heart. Mitra et al have reported a case of superior vena caval obstruction secondary to a mediastinal hydatid cyst presenting with a neck lump which was successfully excised.…”

Fine‐needle aspiration diagnosis of primary hydatid disease of the thyroid; first reported case in the USA

“…Thyroid involvement is extremely rare and usually is part of a multiorgan disease. Primary thyroid HD is exceptional even in endemic regions and the majority of these cases are diagnosed by histology with less than ten cases diagnosed by fine‐needle aspiration (FNA) …”