Cardiac Hydatid Cyst: An Unusual Cause of Chest Pain

Hydatid disease is a parasitic infection caused by larvae of Echinococcus granulosus. Cardiac involvement in hydatid disease is uncommon, constituting only 0.5 - 2% of all cases of hydatidosis. Most patients with cardiac echinococcosis are asymptomatic, and the disease is often latent because a hydatid cyst in the heart grows very slowly. Only approximately 10 % of patients, especially those with large hydatid cysts, have clinical manifestations. Precordial pain is the one of the common symptoms and is most often vague and does not resemble angina pectoris.