Intracardiac thrombus formation in association with hydatid disease

D P Dutka1, G K Morris

  • 1City Hospital, Nottingham, U.K.

European Heart Journal
|December 1, 1990
PubMed

Insights

Cardiac hydatid disease, though rare, is life-threatening. Echocardiography may underestimate the extent of cardiac involvement, potentially leading to inadequate surgical planning.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Parasitology
  • Medical Imaging

Background:

  • Cardiac hydatid disease is a rare parasitic infection with significant morbidity and mortality.
  • Hydatid cysts in the heart can present diagnostic challenges, mimicking other cardiac tumors.
  • Accurate assessment of cardiac involvement is crucial for effective surgical management.

Observation:

  • A case of cardiac hydatid disease presenting as a pedunculated cyst in the left atrium.
  • The cyst mimicked a left atrial myxoma on two-dimensional echocardiography.
  • Necropsy revealed extensive cardiac involvement not fully appreciated by pre-operative imaging.

Findings:

  • Two-dimensional echocardiography underestimated the true extent of cardiac hydatid disease.
  • Limited cardiac catheterization also failed to fully delineate the disease burden.
  • Surgical planning based solely on echocardiography may be insufficient for complex cardiac hydatidosis.

Implications:

  • Rethinking diagnostic protocols for suspected cardiac hydatid disease is necessary.
  • Comprehensive imaging and potentially invasive assessments may be required pre-operatively.
  • Underestimation of disease extent can lead to incomplete resection and adverse outcomes.

Related Concept Videos

Rheumatic Heart Disease I: Introduction01:23

Rheumatic Heart Disease I: Introduction

Rheumatic heart disease or RHD is a chronic condition that results from rheumatic fever, causing permanent damage to the heart valves.Etiology and Risk FactorsIt primarily arises from rheumatic fever, an inflammatory disease that can develop after untreated or inadequately treated group A streptococcal (GAS) pharyngitis. Streptococcus spreads through direct contact with oral or respiratory secretions. While the bacteria are the causative agents, factors like malnutrition, overcrowding, poor...
Rheumatic Heart Disease II: Clinical Manifestations and Diagnostic Studies01:22

Rheumatic Heart Disease II: Clinical Manifestations and Diagnostic Studies

The key clinical manifestations of Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) include several distinct cardiac symptoms.Carditis, a hallmark of acute rheumatic fever, involves inflammation of the heart's endocardium, myocardium, and pericardium. Chronic RHD often results from recurrent episodes of carditis. Its symptoms include the following:Murmurs are caused by valvular damage, especially to the mitral and aortic valves. Mitral stenosis or regurgitation is common, with characteristic heart murmurs...
Cardiomyopathy III: Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy01:29

Cardiomyopathy III: Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, or HCM, is an autosomal dominant genetic disorder characterized by asymmetric left ventricular hypertrophy without ventricular dilation. It is more common in men and is typically diagnosed in young, athletic adults.EtiologyHCM is primarily genetic and is caused by mutations in genes encoding sarcomeric proteins. Researchers have identified over 1400 mutations across at least 11 different genes. Among these, the most frequently occurring mutations are found in the...
Venous Thrombosis I: Introduction01:30

Venous Thrombosis I: Introduction

Venous thrombosis, the most common disorder of the veins, involves the formation of a thrombus or blood clot associated with vein inflammation. It can be classified as either superficial vein thrombosis or deep vein thrombosis.Superficial Vein Thrombosis: This involves the formation of a thrombus in a superficial vein, usually the greater or lesser saphenous vein. Though less severe than deep vein thrombosis (DVT), SVT can lead to complications if untreated.Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT): This...
Toxoplasmosis01:28

Toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasmosis, a zoonotic disease caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, poses significant public health challenges globally due to its high seroprevalence and varied clinical manifestations. As an obligate intracellular parasite, T. gondii can infect all warm-blooded vertebrates, but felids are its only definitive hosts, shedding unsporulated oocysts into the environment. Humans typically acquire the infection through ingestion of tissue cysts in undercooked meat or oocysts from...
Amebiasis01:28

Amebiasis

Entamoeba histolytica, a protozoan parasite, is responsible for intestinal and extraintestinal amebiasis. Though a significant proportion of infections remain asymptomatic, approximately 50 million individuals annually are estimated to present with clinical disease, resulting in up to 100,000 deaths globally. The disease burden is disproportionately high in regions with lower socioeconomic status, such as parts of India, Africa, Mexico, and Latin America.Etiology and TransmissionThe infective...