Massive pulmonary embolism due to hydatid cysts: A rare postoperative complication of liver echinococcosis

• Main Authors: Sotirios Kotoulas, Konstantinos Grapatsas, Vasileios Leivaditis, Ioannis Panagiotou, Emmanouil Spiridakis, Uyen-Thao Le, Thomas Osei-Agyemang, Christophoros Kotoulas
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2020-01-01
• Series: Respiratory Medicine Case Reports
• Subjects: Hydatid disease; Echinococcosis; Hydatidosis; Pulmonary embolism; Surgery
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213007120300757

Pulmonary embolism due to hydatid cysts is a very rare pathology. A 55-year-old male was transferred to our hospital due to respiratory failure, as a result of left pulmonary artery obstruction by cystic lesions. His medical history included multiple operations for abdominal echinococcosis. He was urgently operated for the extraction of the proximal hydatid cysts with the use of cardiopulmonary bypass with an excellent outcome and six months later through a right thoracotomy for the distal right pulmonary artery, the cysts were extracted. Meanwhile, he followed additional medication treatment with albendazole, preoperatively as well as postoperatively. Today, 5 years later, he has no evidence of hydatidosis recurrence.