Case report: Percutaneous drainage of the pancreatic head hydatid cyst with obstructive jaundice

We report a rare case of a patient with a primary hydatid cyst in the head of the pancreas who presented with obstructive jaundice caused by extrinsic compression of the intrapancreatic portion of the bile duct. The patient w as treated successfully by ultrasound-guided percutaneous drainage of the c yst using hypertonic (20%) saline as the scolicidal agent and albendazole c hemoprophylaxis before and after the drainage. The cyst was not visible on ultrasonography at 6 months follow up. Clinical, sonographic and serologica l follow up to 35 months showed no evidence of cyst recurrence or dissemina tion. In endemic areas of hydatid disease, hydatid cyst should be a differe ntial diagnosis in cystic lesions of the pancreas in patients presenting wi th obstructive jaundice. (C) 1999 Blackwell Science Asia Pty Ltd.