Cardiac echinococcosis secondary to hepatic echinococcosis: a rare case report

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a zoonotic parasitic infection, which is very rare in developed countries. It can affect all internal organs, while cardiac echinococcosis is extremely rare, especially in children. Slowly enlarging hydatid cyst usually remains asymptomatic until the size or space occupying effects the involved organ and induces symptoms. The progression of cardiac echinococcosis can be very hidden, and the symptoms are similar to that of other cardiovascular diseases, which raises the difficulty in accurate diagnosis. We present a 13-year-old young girl with a history of hepatic echinococcosis who developed a huge cardiac hydatid cyst, but her symptoms were not specific, while the physical tests and biochemical examinations were unremarkable. Her residential area in Tibet and previous medical history of hepatic echinococcosis gave us clues in the diagnosis of cardiac echinococcosis. Combined with computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the cardiac echinococcosis was finally confirmed, and the cardiac symptoms were relieved after surgical removal of the cardiac hydatid cyst. This is the first report of children's cardiac echinococcosis secondary to hepatic echinococcosis, and it remarks on the importance of rapid consideration of cardiac echinococcosis even if no remarkable symptoms or indexes are present. Moreover, the combination of previous history and imaging techniques are indispensable for obtaining a definite diagnosis.