An Unusual Presentation of Hydatid Disease in a Child: A Case Report

The subcutaneous localization of the hydatid cyst in the abdominal wall is rarely encountered particularly in the pediatric population and is sometimes difficult to diagnose preoperatively. Here, we report the case of a 6-year-old boy who presented with two isolated episodes of low abundant hemoptysis and in whom a mass on the right lumbar region already considered as a lipoma was studied. Laboratory and radiological examinations were requested and the parietal cyst was surgically managed. The macroscopic and the pathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of the hydatid disease and helped in identifying the nature of the thoracic lesion that disappeared spontaneously after two episodes of hydatid vomiting. Hydatid cyst should be considered as a diagnosis for any masses of the abdominal wall. Moreover, biopsy and partial resection of the mass must be avoided.