Cardiac hydatid cyst is extremely rare in children. We report a case of a cardiac echinococcal cyst in an 1 1 year old boy, diagnosed by two-dimensional echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The cyst was located in the posterior wall of the left ventricle and was excised surgically. Echocardiographic and MRI findings are discussed.
Key wordscardiac hydatid cyst, echocardiography, magnetic resonance imaging.Echinococcosis is a predominantly hepatic-pulmonary disease. The heart is involved in only 0.02-2% of patients with hydatidosis.' Because of the slow enlargement of the cyst, it is rarely seen in children.2 With the development of non-invasive techniques such as echocardiography, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) the capability of visualizing cardiac hydatid cysts has been greatly enhanced. We describe a child in whom cardiac hydatid cyst was diagnosed by echocardiography and confirmed by MRI study.