Hydatid cyst of the pancreas mimicking neoplasm

Abstract

Hydatid disease is a cyclozoonotic infection caused by the cestode genus Echinococcus. It occurs throughout the world and is especially common in sheep- and cattle-raising regions of Africa, Australia, New Zealand, India, the Middle East, South America, and the Mediterranean. The incidence of humans infected with hydatid disease is approximately 1-2:1000. It is higher in rural areas. Infection occurs via ingestion of infected meat. Hydatidosis is caused by sheep and cattle ingesting tapeworm eggs in dog feces. These eggs hatch in the duodenum and invade the liver, lungs, or bones of sheep and cattle. Humans are infected by ingesting the infected meat from these animals. In the organs, the embryo transforms into a cyst, which develops the germinal epithelium that produces capsules, larval forms, and eventually the infectious scolices. Although hydatid cyst of the pancreas is rare, it must be considered in the differential diagnosis of pancreatic lesions. We present a rare case.