Anaphylactic shock caused by nonruptured hydatid cyst of the liver

Abstract

Anaphylactic reaction is a known complication of cystic hydatid disease, a parasitic infestation caused by the larval/cyst stage of Echinococcus granulosus that usually happens after trauma or during interventions. Nontraumatic leakage of cyst contents into the blood circulation is an uncommon triggering factor for anaphylaxis, which is rarely reported in available literatures. We describe anaphylaxis in a 47-year-old lady who was admitted for evacuation of hydatid cyst of the liver. Unfortunately, she developed signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis in the ward while waiting for her operation. However, the condition was controlled immediately, and she was taken to the operating theater for surgery. As she had not sustained any trauma in the ward and operative exploration did not reveal any macroscopic rupture, we assumed that her problem must have been caused by nontraumatic spillage of cyst material into circulation. Although the condition is not common, one should bear in mind the possibility of such diagnosis in all patients with Eccinococcous infection who develop shock especially in areas where this infestation is endemic.