Liver hydatid with HIV infection: an association?

Various opportunistic infections have been reported in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Although there are a few reports of echinococcal infection of the lung, spine, and brain, a hydatid cyst of the liver has never been described. In our experience of treating over 150 cases of hydatid cysts of the liver, we identified three patients with large, multifocal hydatid cysts who also had an HIV infection. The current article describes one such patient and discusses the possible host immune-parasite interaction to ascertain if HIV positivity results in increased susceptibility and severity of echinococcal infection.