Acta Parasitologica, Vol. 52, No. 2, 2007, 181–184. DOI: 10.2478/s11686-007-0024-1 Davut Keskin –
An unusual case: Ruptured and infected primary muscle cystic echinococcosis
Atatürk University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Orthopedics and Trauma, Erzurum, Turkey
*Corresponding author: keskind2002@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT
There are few case reports of primary muscle cystic echinococcosis in which a hot abscess developed at the site of the cyst following
its perforation. Here, the author presents a 23-year-old female with a hydatid cyst of more than 15 years' duration in
her right quadriceps muscle. The cyst did not cause any complaints for years and grew very slowly, but eventually became
infected and perforated. Alarge hot abscess was formed at its site. The patient was managed successfully by surgical and medical
treatments. She was assessed carefully for clinical, radiological, surgical and histopathological findings. Investigations were
made to differentiate the condition from classical hot abscesses and other soft tissue masses. In T1- and T2-weighted magnetic
resonance images, a hypointense membranous structure (the perforated rim) within the mass of the lesion was significant
for its differential diagnosis. In conclusion, especially in endemic regions, magnetic resonance imaging is a valuable tool in
differentiating soft tissue cystic echinococcosis in the presence of infected and rapidly enlarging masses after long periods of
dormancy.
KEY WORDS: Hydatid cyst, primary intramuscular, perforation, infection, abscess