Hydatid cyst of the heart with mitral valve stenosis; Case report

Hydatid cyst of the heart is very rare, the left ventricle is the commonest site of myocardial involvement due to dominant left coronary vessels and thicker wall. Isolated cardiac involvement is extremely rare. Patients may be quite asymptomatic but the cyst may cause palpitation, dyspnea, chest pain, or when ruptured in to the cardiac or pericardial cavities may cause emergency presentations like anaphylactic reactions, sudden collapse due to pericardial tamponade or even sudden death. A middle age female presented with exertional shortness of breath for 2 years. Echocardiography showed mitral valve stenosis. Computerized tomography scan of the chest showed a big complicated hydatid cyst arising from the wall of the right ventricle. Median sternotomy was done with excision of the hydatid cyst, and repair of mitral stenosis by commissurotomy. The patient received three cycles of albendazole for three months. Surgery is the best options of treatment of cardiac hydatid disease, when the disease is affecting the pericardium complete excision may be possible, but when the myocardium is involved it may be difficult or even impossible to do complete excision, in this situation the cyst contents should be evacuated completely, preventing spillage is very mandatary to prevent recurrence. Care must be taken to avoid damage to the conductive system, the papillary muscles, the aortic and the mitral valves. Medical treatment with anthelminthic medications is used after surgery to reduce the recurrence rate.