[Cardiac echinococcosis. Report of a case]

Cardiac hydatid disease represents 0.02-2% of the possible locations of the parasite. The case of an asymptomatic 60-year-old male patient, hospitalised for mnesic and cognitive disease, and with history of hepatic and pulmonary echinococcosis is reported. The patient showed a cardiac cyst localised in the mediobasal portion of the ventricular septum, with partial obstruction of the left ventricular outflow tract and with alteration of the left ventricular compliance. This case is of particular interest either for the rarity of cardiac localization or disagreement between the severity of anatomic involvement and absence of correlated symptoms. Therefore all patients affected by hydatid disease could be routinely investigated by 2D echo because this imaging technique is non invasive, feasible and has a high sensitivity for detecting intracardiac echinococcal cysts.