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Case Reports
. 2024 Jan:114:109169.
doi: 10.1016/j.ijscr.2023.109169. Epub 2023 Dec 17.

More than 200 hydatid cysts in the lung with a large number of daughter cysts: A rare case report

Fatima Alzahraa Almohammad Alyousef  1 , Aya Myassar Khallouf  2 , Amira Fathi Breis  1 , Kawthar Mohamad Alhasan  1 , Aghyad Kudra Danial  3
Affiliations
Case Reports

More than 200 hydatid cysts in the lung with a large number of daughter cysts: A rare case report

Fatima Alzahraa Almohammad Alyousef et al. Int J Surg Case Rep. 2024 Jan.

Abstract

Introduction and importance: Hydatid cysts are a parasitic disease that occurs when humans ingest contaminated food or water containing parasitic eggs. It is a common disease worldwide, especially in cattle breeding areas. In rare cases, the primary cysts contain daughter cysts inside them, as seen in this case.

Case presentation: We report a 28-year-old rural woman who presented with a history of sputum-producing cough, dyspnea, hemoptysis, and pain in the right side of the chest. The chest-abdomen-pelvis MSCT revealed a large number of cysts (more than 200 cysts) with daughter cysts inside them in the right lung and mediastinum. The cysts were surgically resected. After surgery, albendazole 200 mg twice a day was prescribed, with monitoring of liver function.

Clinical discussion: In the lungs, hydatid cysts are commonly found in the right lung (50 %), left lung (40 %), and may also be bilateral (10 %). The presence of multivesicular cysts in the lung is very rare. There are two hypotheses concerning the daughter cysts' formation. The first one suggests the effect of repeated mechanical trauma, while the other proposes the defensive mechanism of the patient. Diagnosis of the hydatid cysts in the lung is primarily through radiographic investigations such as Chest X-ray and CT scan. Surgery is still the main method to manage pulmonary hydatid cysts.

Conclusion: Although rare, multivesicular hydatid cysts in the lung should be considered, as they can mimic other diseases such as tumors and can cause an embolus in the pulmonary artery.

Keywords: Case report; Daughter cyst; Echinococcosis; Hydatid cyst; Multi-vesicular; Pulmonary cyst.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of competing interest None declared. The authors have no financial and personal relationships with other people or organisations that could lead to bias or conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Chest x-ray showing an absence of the pulmonary field as a result of several densities in the right lung.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Macroscopic appearances of a large number of hydatid cysts and daughter cysts in the right lung.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Chest x-ray showing good dilation of the right lung and no pulmonary cysts after surgery.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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