Complicated Hydatid Cyst Mimicking Endobronchial Tumor: A Case Report and Review of Literature

Hydatid cyst (HC) disease, caused by Echinococcus spp., is endemic in subtropical climate zones. Canids serve as definitive hosts, sheep and goats are intermediate hosts, while humans are accidental intermediate hosts. Although HC can settle in almost any organ in the body, the liver is the most common site, followed by the lungs. Pulmonary HC is usually asymptomatic, and the diagnosis is incidental. Radiological findings of intact HC are well defined and characteristic; however, in cases of rupture or infection, they can mimic various pulmonary pathologies. We present a case of a 34-year-old female patient who had suggestive findings of an endobronchial tumor. During diagnostic bronchoscopy, the HC membrane was visualized and removed endoscopically. Clinical presentation, diagnostic imaging, and management approaches for endobronchial HC are discussed here. This case underscores the importance of considering complicated pulmonary HC in the differential diagnosis within endemic regions, even when faced with atypical radiological findings.