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Published on: October 28, 2020

Left ventricular hydatid cyst: an uncommon cause of chest pain in young adults

Ravindranath K Shankarappa1, Nagaraja Moorthy, Prabhavathi Bhat

  • 1Department of Cardiology, Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research, Bangalore, India.

Cardiology in the Young
|September 26, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Isolated cardiac hydatid disease is rare. A young adult male presented with chest pain due to a left ventricular hydatid cyst, highlighting the need for broader differential diagnoses.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Parasitology

Background:

  • Hydatid disease, caused by Echinococcus granulosus, typically affects organs like the liver and lungs.
  • Cardiac involvement is exceptionally rare, with isolated myocardial cysts being even rarer.

Observation:

  • A young adult male presented with acute chest pain.
  • Diagnostic imaging, including transthoracic echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, revealed a hydatid cyst within the left ventricular myocardium.

Findings:

  • Confirmed diagnosis of an isolated hydatid cyst in the left ventricle.
  • The patient had no conventional risk factors for atherosclerosis.

Implications:

  • Cardiac hydatid disease should be considered in the differential diagnosis of chest pain in young individuals.
  • This case underscores the importance of considering parasitic infections in unexplained cardiac presentations, even in atypical locations.

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