Learning points:
Hydatidosis or cystic echinococcosis is caused by infection with the metacestode stage of the tapeworm Echinococcus (family Taeniidae). The adult tapeworm is usually found in dogs or other canines; the tapeworm eggs are expelled in the animal feces and humans become infected after ingestion of the eggs. The initial phase of primary infection is asymptomatic.
– Cardiac hydatidosis is extremely rare, more commonly the liver and lungs are affected.
– Morbidity from heart echinococcosis in men is three times higher than that in women. Solitary cysts occur in almost 60% of the cases; the most frequent location is the ventricular myocardium (because of the maximum myocardial mass and abundant blood supply ) and they are usually subepicardially located, hence they rarely rupture in the pericardial space. The left ventricle is damaged twofold to threefold more frequently than the right one.
– The diagnosis of echinococcosis in heart can be divided into two steps: detection of the cyst and its identification as
echinococcus. It is based on serological reactions, echocardiography, X-ray, computerized tomography, and/or
magnetic resonance imaging.
– The most dangerous complication of cardiac echinococcosis is cyst perforation. After cyst perforation three quarters of the patients die from septic shock or embolic complications.
– It is very important to understand that chemotherapy may lead to cyst death, and destruction of its wall and result in cyst rupture. Therefore, no germicide must be administered before surgical removal.
Learning points of the article published in Echo Res Pract. 2015 Mar 1; 2(1): K17–K19
– Cardiac hydatidosis is extremely rare, more commonly the liver and lungs are affected.
– Morbidity from heart echinococcosis in men is three times higher than that in women. Solitary cysts occur in almost 60% of the cases; the most frequent location is the ventricular myocardium (because of the maximum myocardial mass and abundant blood supply ) and they are usually subepicardially located, hence they rarely rupture in the pericardial space. The left ventricle is damaged twofold to threefold more frequently than the right one.
– The diagnosis of echinococcosis in heart can be divided into two steps: detection of the cyst and its identification as
echinococcus. It is based on serological reactions, echocardiography, X-ray, computerized tomography, and/or
magnetic resonance imaging.
– The most dangerous complication of cardiac echinococcosis is cyst perforation. After cyst perforation three quarters of the patients die from septic shock or embolic complications.
– It is very important to understand that chemotherapy may lead to cyst death, and destruction of its wall and result in cyst rupture. Therefore, no germicide must be administered before surgical removal.
Learning points of the article published in Echo Res Pract. 2015 Mar 1; 2(1): K17–K19
Maria Ludmila Setti Aguiar Moro, cardiologist and echocardiographyst ,responsible for the echocardiography laboratory at Santa Casa de Campo Grande-MS / Brazil.