Cardiac hydatidosis mimicking ischemic heart disease: A case report

Abstract

Cystic echinococcosis (CE), caused by Echinococcus granulosus, is a zoonotic disease with cardiac involvement reported in less than 2 % of cases but associated with significant clinical challenges. We describe a 44-year-old woman from Peru who presented with exertional chest pain and T-wave inversions on electrocardiography. Imaging revealed a large multiloculated cystic mass with peripheral calcifications in the left ventricular wall, and Western Blot serology confirmed CE. The patient underwent surgical excision under cardiopulmonary bypass, followed by albendazole therapy. Histopathology confirmed a non-viable hydatid cyst. Postoperative recovery was uneventful, and she remained asymptomatic at 16-month follow-up. This case underscores the importance of considering cardiac hydatidosis in endemic regions when evaluating patients with angina-like symptoms in the presence of a cystic cardiac mass on imaging. Public awareness, improved medical education, and ongoing research are crucial to better managing this condition.