Laparoscopic cystectomy for pancreatic echinococcosis: A case report and literature review

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a widely endemic helminthic disease caused by infection with the Echinococcus granulosus tapeworm. Following ingestion of eggs, hydatid cysts develop, most frequently in the liver and lungs, but occasionally in other organs. Infection of the pancreas by hydatid cysts is very rare, even in endemic areas. Most cases of pancreatic hydatid cysts reported in the literature were treated surgically using traditional open laparotomy. There are only few case reports describing laparoscopic treatment for this disease. Herein, we report on an eighteen-year-old female patient who was referred to our institution with a hydated pancreatic tail cyst. After a course of treatment with Albendazole, we successfully performed laparoscopic splenic-sparing distal pancreatectomy to remove the cyst with an uneventful intra- and post-operative course.