Cardiac hydatid cyst in the right ventricle - A rare case report of echinococcosis presentation

INTRODUCTION: The hydatid cyst (HC) of the right ventricle (RV) is an extremely uncommon and a serious location that can cause sudden death following pulmonary embolism, obstruction of the valvular orifice or anaphylactic shock. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a case of a 14 years-old girl with a HC of the RV. Surgical excision of the HC under Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) was successful in managing this rare case. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: Cardiac HC is extremely rare. It represents only 0.5–2% of all hydatid cases. However, RV location is very severe. It has a tendency to rupture intracavitarily and causes sudden death in 30% of cases. Its diagnosis is based on echocardiography, computed tomography scan and magnetic resonance imaging. The surgical treatment under CPB with anthelmintic therapy seems to improve the prognostic outcomes. CONCLUSION: Cardiac HC must be always suspected in endemic countries, especially in patients with a family history of HC.