Solitary hydatid cyst in the forearm: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Hydatid cyst is a parasitic disease caused by Echinococcus that is mostly found in the Mediterranean and Gulf States regions. Hydatid cysts usually arise in the liver and lungs but rarely occur in the forearm. PRESENTATION OF CASE: In this report, we present a rare case of a solitary intramuscular forearm hydatid cyst in a 32-year-old woman. The cyst exhibited positive radiological findings and was treated surgically, leading to a complete resolution of the patient's symptoms with no history of recurrence. DISCUSSION: This case was unique because although the patient presented in her fourth decade of life and lived in a Gulf country, the hydatid cyst was in a solitary and unusual location and had been present for one year. It had all positive findings in a radiological investigation without any signs of systemic illness. Additionally, the cyst was attached to the median nerve and a complete excision was performed without affecting the nerve. CONCLUSION: By reporting this rare case of a solitary intramuscular forearm hydatid cyst, we aim to increase the awareness of unusual sites for the appearance of hydatid cysts.

Musculoskeletal Hydatid Cysts Resembling Tumors: A Report of Five Cases.

Although challenges in treatment of musculoskeletal hydatid cysts (HC) lesions have been documented, data regarding the musculoskeletal HC lesions resembling tumor is scarce. This paper presented 5 patients (3 males, 2 females) with a mean age of 41.6 years with tumor-like lesions of HC. Three of them had left ilium and acetabulum involvement, one involved left femur, and one involved left thigh muscle compartments. Pain was the main symptom and was seen in all patients. Clinical examination, radiologic evaluation, and histologic analysis were performed for diagnosis. Patients were treated through different surgical options, including simple debridement, bone cement filling with or without internal fixation, hip arthrodesis, reconstruction using hemipelvic replantation with femoral prosthesis and distal femur endoprosthetic replacement. After surgery, the operation region was washed by 20% hypertonic saline, and debridement was performed carefully without contamination. All patients received albendazole treatment. Cases were followed up 1 to 9 years for the recurrence. Walking difficulty and pain were the main symptoms during the follow-up. One patient was symptom-free. A reoccurrence in the perioperative soft tissue was detected in only one patient and control visits with antihelmintic treatment were recommended. We would like to emphasize that HC should be kept in mind for the differential diagnosis of the cystic or tumoral lesions of the musculoskeletal system, particularly in the endemic regions. Prompt diagnosis is of paramount importance for preventing destruction and complications.

Primary hydatid cyst in gastrocnemius muscle.

Cystic echinococcosis, which is caused by the larval stages of Echinococcus granulosus, results from the presence of one or more massive cysts or hydatids, and can involve any organ, including the liver, lungs, heart, brain, kidneys, and long bones. Muscle hydatidosis is usually secondary in nature, resulting from spread of larval tissue from a primary site after spontaneous or trauma-induced cyst rupture or after release of viable parasite material during invasive treatment procedures. Primary muscle hydatidosis is extremely uncommon, because implantation at this site would require passage through the filters of the liver and lung. Intramuscular hydatid cyst can cause a variety of diagnostic problems, especially in the absence of typical radiologic findings. We present an unusual case of a primary hydatid cyst found in the popliteal fossa of the right knee of a 52-year-old woman, presenting as an enlarging soft-tissue tumor for 6 months associated with pain. The mass initially was diagnosed to be Backer's cyst by ultrasonography, but later it was confirmed postoperatively through histopathological studies to be due to hydatid disease. In regions where hydatidosis is endemic, hydatid cyst should be included in the differential diagnosis of any unusual muscular mass.