Abstract:
Background. Hydatid cyst, also called hydatidosis, is caused by Echinococcus granulosus. It is
still a major health problem in many parts of the world with 2-3 million cases confirmed each
year. Most of these cases involve liver (50-70%) and lungs (20-30%), but some of them have
rare locations, such as skeletal muscles (0.7-5%). The absence of specific clinical signs and
symptoms makes it difficult to establish a diagnosis, while first signs may appear as
neurovascular lesions due to compression. The most useful method of diagnosis is ultrasound
with high sensitivity (93-98%), followed by CT and MRI. There are two types of treatment: open
surgery and percutaneous drainage, both associated with Albendazole and Mebendazole or
Albendazole and Praziquantel administration.
