Case reports
← vista completaPublished on December 16, 2014 | http://doi.org/10.5867/medwave.2014.11.6053
Hepatopulmonary hydatidosis: pediatric case report and literature review
Hidatidosis hepatopulmonar: reporte de caso clínico pediátrico y revisión de literatura
Abstract
Hydatidosis is a parasitic zoonosis of the genus Echinococcus that infects herbivores and humans in its larvae stage (hydatid). Pediatric hydatidosis usually presents with involvement of the lung, in contrast to the adult clinical picture. Therefore, hepatopulmonary hydatidosis is an unusual entity in children. A clinical case is presented, along with a short review of available literature. A thirteen-year-old male child, who lives in Cauquenes, a rural area of Central Chile, presents with three months of cough, fever, malaise, and an abdominal mass. Imaging reveals multiple cystic images, located mostly in the right lung and the liver. The patient is started on albendazole (15 mg/kg/day) and transferred to the Pediatric Surgery Unit in Hospital de Talca. He underwent thoracotomy and laparotomy for the removal of the hydatid cysts. He recovered from surgery and continued his pharmacological treatment. Hydatidosis is a public healthcare problem, and a major cause of morbidity and mortality. It can be asymptomatic; thus, its diagnosis requires a high level of suspicion.
