ASSOCIATED SPLEEN AND HEART ECHINOCOCCAL CYSTS

The authors report the case of a 78-year old woman with heart and sple en echinococcal cysts revealed by syncope. The patient had never left her native region (central France); therefore she was supposed to have been contaminated during her professionnal activities (as sheep farme r). The epidemiological and clinical aspects of this illness, rare in France, are reviewed as well as the diagnosis and the treatment. Cardi ac and splenic ultra sonography were determinant in the diagnosis; the serologic test result (electrosynerese) was negative, but this result does not exclude the final diagnosis. Cyst enucleation is the only tr eatment of such a case, but surgical treatment was refused by the pati ent.