Primary adrenal hydatid cyst: A rare entity and literature review

Abstract

Hydatid cyst is a zoonotic disease rarely involving the adrenal glands, even in areas where the disease is endemic. The purpose of this article is to present the clinical and imaging findings of adrenal hydatid cysts, along with a comprehensive literature review of related research. Here we report a rare case of an 18-year-old male with a right adrenal cystic lesion showing characteristic features of a hydatid cyst on ultrasonography and computed tomography, which turned out to be an adrenal hydatid cyst after surgical excision. In conclusion, when a cystic lesion is detected in the suprarenal regions, adrenal hydatid cysts should be considered in differential diagnosis, especially in patients who live in or have come from endemic areas. Medical imaging can play a crucial role in diagnosing, managing, and postsurgical assessment of this condition.

Keywords: Adrenal gland; CT; Echinococcus; Hydatid cyst; Ultrasonography.

Fig. 1

Ultrasound images revealed a large solitary anechoic cystic lesion located in the right suprarenal region (red arrows), showing a double-wall sign (green arrows).

Fig. 2

Axial (A), sagittal (B), and coronal (C) contrast-enhanced computed tomography showing a well-circumscribed, unilocular, nonenhanced cystic lesion in the right adrenal gland (red arrows) with typical “double-wall sign” of hydatid cyst (green arrows).