Abstract
Background
Hydatid cysts are caused by Echinococcus granulosus infection, and hydatidosis is recognized as a re-emerging zoonotic disease globally.
While the liver is the most commonly affected organ, other organs can also be affected,
including the heart. Because of the low sensitivity and specificity of serologic diagnostic
tests, ultrasound and echocardiography are increasingly used to make the diagnosis
of cardiac hydatid cyst.
Case report
We report the case of a cardiac hydatid cyst, detected by point-of-care ultrasound
(POCUS), in a 79-year-old woman who presented with shortness of breath and was in
ventricular tachycardia. The diagnosis was further confirmed with a computed tomography
scan. Although cases of alveolar and liver hydatid cysts are seen, this is the first
case of a cardiac hydatid cyst in Bhutan.
Why Should an Emergency Physician Be Aware of This?
This case illustrates the importance of POCUS in reaching a diagnosis, particularly
in resource-poor areas where other sophisticated diagnostic tools are not easily available.
A cardiac hydatid cyst must be in the differential for structural causes of dysrhythmias.
This is especially so because treatment of unstable dysrhythmias in the acute setting
of an emergency department has to be modified from the usual algorithm in the presence
of a cardiac hydatid cyst, due to the potentially fatal risk of cyst rupture and anaphylaxis.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: April 16, 2020
Accepted:
March 18,
2020
Received in revised form:
February 26,
2020
Received:
January 3,
2020
Footnotes
Reprints are not available from the authors.
Identification
Copyright
© 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
