[Cardiac echinococcosis. Two-dimensional echocardiographic diagnosis (author's transl)]

A case of cardiac echinococcosis is reported on a 7 year old girl, whose clinical presenting picture was an embolism of the lower limbs. M-mode echocardiography didn't reveal pathological data, whereas two-dimensional (2D) examination in apical position (four-chamber view) diagnosed a cystic structure in the left ventricular free wall. Cardiac surgery confirmed the echocardiographic findings. The necessity to perform all the 2-D sections when there is a clinical suspicion, the possibility to avoid cardiac catheterization and the use of 2-D echocardiography as a screening test in the exposed subjects are emphasized.