Case Report

Spontaneous Rupture of a Giant Diaphragmatic Hydatid Cyst into the Intrapleural Space
Erkan Dervisoglu^a, Salih Topcu^b, Serife Tuba Liman^b, Ahmet Yilmaz^a

Departments of
^aInternal Medicine (Division of Nephrology) and
^bThoracic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Kocaeli University, Kocaeli, Turkey

Address of Corresponding Author

Med Princ Pract 2008;17:86-88 (DOI: 10.1159/000109598)

  Key Words

• Hydatid disease
• Diaphragm
• Hydatid cyst rupture
• Multislice computed tomography

  Abstract

Objective: We report a case of giant diaphragmatic hydatid cyst which ruptured spontaneously into the intrapleural space in a patient with coexistent giant hepatic hydatid cyst. Clinical Presentation and Intervention: A 62-year-old female was admitted for dyspnea, nausea, vomiting, and right thoracic pain. Clinical findings, laboratory and radiological examinations including multislice computed tomography scan were consistent with the diagnosis of a giant diaphragmatic hydatid cyst which ruptured into the intrapleural space. Surgical intervention was performed through thoracotomy and phrenotomy in a one-stage operation for both cysts. Conclusion: This case shows that hydatid cysts of the diaphragm can rupture into the intrapleural space spontaneously. One-stage operation through thoracotomy may be successful for the surgical intervention for diaphragmatic hydatid cysts with coexistent hepatic cyst.

Copyright © 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel

  Author Contacts

Erkan Dervisoglu
Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Nephrology
Faculty of Medicine, Kocaeli University
TR-41380 Kocaeli (Turkey)
Tel. +90 262 303 85 68, Fax +90 262 303 70 03, E-Mail dervisoglue@yahoo.com

  Article Information

Received: March 5, 2007
Revised: May 5, 2007
Number of Print Pages : 3
Number of Figures : 2, Number of Tables : 0, Number of References : 10