[Long-course pneumonia as manifestation of transphrenic migration of a calcified hydatid cyst]. / Neumonía de larga evolución como manifestación de una migración transfénica de un quiste hidatídico calcificado.

ABSTRACT

The hydatidosis disease, which is caused by the larva of the granulosus equinococcus, is still a common zoonosis in countries like Spain. The observation of a calcified hydatid cyst of the liver in an asymptomatic patient suggest a very long clinical latency period of the disease. Acute complications have been reported. We present the case of a patient with clinical symptoms of nonresolving pneumonia and an old calcified hydatid cyst of the liver. The first approach to the diagnosis of community-acquired pneumonia was inconclusive. The high clinical suspect of equinococcus infection added to the bronchoscopy findings, computed tomographic (CT) study and serological test, permitted the correct preoperative diagnosis. The surgical removal confirmed the diagnosis of transphrenic migration of a hydatid cyst ruptured to the bronchial tree.