A Retrospective Study of Cardiac Echinococcosis Patients Admitted in Tertiary Care Hospital of Central India

Hydatid disease is parasitic infestation caused by Echinococcus granulosus. It is most often found in the liver (60-70 %) and lung (20-30 %). Isolated cardiac involvement is rare and occurs in only 0.02-2 % of cases. In this retrospective study we collected data of all patients who were admitted in Department of cardiology from January 2012 till January 2017 at our institute (a tertiary are hospital). Objectives were to study the patient profile suffering from cardiac hydatid cyst, study the presenting symptoms of patients of cardiac hydatid cyst and the pattern of location of cardiac hydatid cyst. Cardiac echinococcosis though uncommon is not rare. Our country is endemic for hydatid disease. Life threatening complications such as anaphylaxis and embolisation into pulmonary and systemic sites can occur hence cardiac echinococossis should be ruled out as cause of cystic lesion in heart. Maximum number of patients in our study belong to age group 20-40yrs.80 % patients were female. All the patients were hailing from rural area. Right ventricule was most common site for cardiac echinococcosis. Chest pain was commonest presenting symptom. Spleen, Liver& Lung involvement were seen in 1 patient each. All patients in our study had surgical excision with adjuvant treatment with oral albendazole (10mg/kg/day) which is the standard therapy for cardiac hydatid cyst.