Surgical Overview of Cardiac Echinococcosis: a Rare Entity

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to describe our experience with the presentation and management of cardiac echinococcosis and the outcomes.

Methods: We performed a retrospective study from January 2012 to September 2017 in 10 patients operated on for cardiac echinococcosis. There were 6 men and 4 women; the age range was 17-55 years (mean age, 35.9 ± 12.04 years). Among the 10 patients, 3 had multiple cysts and of the 7 patients with a solitary cyst, 5 cysts were in the left ventricle, 1 was in the right ventricle and 1 was in the interventricular septum. All patients were evaluated with electrocardiography, transthoracic echocardiography, computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging of the thorax, ultrasound examinations of the abdominal organs, haemagglutination tests and histopathological examination of the cyst.

Results: Nine operations were performed using cardiopulmonary bypass. One patient with a pericardial cyst was operated on with a beating heart with cystectomy and partial pericardiectomy. Preoperatively, all patients received albendazole for 2 weeks except for 1 patient who had an emergency operation. Albendazole was continued postoperatively in all patients for 12 weeks. There were no postoperative complications. No recurrences have been observed so far.

Conclusions: Cardiac echinococcosis is an infrequently encountered entity, but with clinical suspicion and early diagnosis it can be successfully managed with good outcomes.