Combined medical and surgical treatment of intracardiac hydatid cysts in 11 patients.

OBJECTIVES

Echinococcosis is a human parasitic disease common in sheep-rearing regions, which is caused by the larval stage of Echinococcus granolosus and can involve any heart region. We report 11 cases of cardiac hydatidosis who were treated medically and surgically.

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

Eleven patients diagnosed with cardiac echinococcosis were referred to the Cardiac Surgery Department of Shahid Madani Hospital from 1992 to 2004. Symptoms included dyspnea, palpitation, limb ischemia, fever, weight loss, hemiplegia, and loss of consciousness. Patients underwent surgical removal of the cyst followed by medical treatment until the titer of echinococcus hemaglutination test came to normal.

RESULTS

Hospital stay and recovery time were uneventful in nine patients. One patient died due to acute renal failure before hospital discharge (9%) and another patient experienced cerebral hydatidosis 12 months after surgery (probably due to cyst embolism). The other nine patients had no complications during five years of follow-up.

CONCLUSION

Surgical excision using cardiopulmonary bypass combined with medical therapy provides the most optimal treatment for cardiac echinococcosis.