Case Study

Extrapulmonary Intrapleural Hydatid Disease- A Case Report


Hydatidosis is a zoonotic disease caused by the tapeworm Echinococcus granulosus. It mostly involves liver and lungs whereas the unusual sites are spleen, kidney, peritoneal cavity, skin, muscles, heart, brain, vertebral column, ovaries, pancreas, gallbladder, thyroid gland, breast, and bones.  Herein, we describe a unique case of intrapleural hydatid cyst which was solely confined to the pleural space without involvement of lung parenchyma and other associated structures. Despite the fact that Pakistan is an endemic country for hydatid disease, we could not identify any single documented case of intrapleural hydatid disease from Pakistan. The purpose of our case report is to promote awareness among fellow healthcare professionals about this rare variant of hydatid disease and to prevent any missed diagnosis and life-threatening complications. Hence, once the diagnosis was established, we performed a right-sided thoracotomy. Intraoperatively, the lung was collapsed due to the pressure effects of hydatid cysts. The hydatid cysts were evacuated completely from the pleural cavity and postoperatively the patient had an uneventful recovery and remained asymptomatic during all the follow-up visits. Conclusively, the hydatid disease may involve unusual sites such as the pleural space. A strong clinical suspicion, supportive radiological findings, and positive serological evidence play a critical role in the establishment of the diagnosis.

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