An apical cardiac hydatid cyst

Hydatid cyst disease is a parasitic infestation by Echinococcus that can involve any organ. The purely cardiac cyst without any other organ involvement is a rare case. We report a 52-year-old man who was admitted because of fatigue, palpitation, chest pain and shortness of breath. Echocardiography and multi-slice computed tomographic scan demonstrated a hypodense lesion (29.8x25.4 mm) on the apicolateral region of the left ventricle. The lesion was located inside the pericardium but outside the myocardium. The cyst was successfully removed surgically. Histopathologic examination revealed an infected cardiac cyst. The patient had an uneventful recovery and was discharged four days after surgery. He was observed to be doing well in the two-month follow-up visit.