[Diagnostic dilemma: analysis of 11 cases of hydatid disease]

Hydatid cyst disease is a parasitic disease caused by the tapeworm Echinococcus granulosus. This disease may cause atypical clinical and radiological features and complications that cause difficulties in diagnosis. Misdiagnoses may result in delay in treatment. We aimed to examine the characteristics and surgical results of hydatid cyst disease with atypical clinical features.

Hydatid cyst patients with atypical clinical and radiological features diagnosed in the department of chest surgery, between 2006 and 2009 were retrospectively evaluated according to sex, age, symptoms, radiological diagnosis, surgical procedures applied and postoperative complications. Eleven patients with atypical clinical features were analyzed for misdiagnoses and challenges in the diagnosis and results of treatment.

Nine patients (81.82%) were male and 2 patients (18.18%) were female and their mean age was 35.33 ± 17.52 years. Parapneumonic effusion and thoracic empyema (5 patients), lung cancer (3 patients), congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation (1 patient), lung abscess (2 patients) disease were the misdiagnosed diseases in hydatid cyst disease. All patients were treated surgically. Hydatid disease was confirmed pathologically.

Hydatid cyst may imitate other chest diseases when it causes atypical clinical features. Misdiagnosis may cause delay in surgical treatment.