Surgical treatment of cardiac echinococcosis: Report of eight cases

Cardiac involvement of hydatid disease is uncommon, and establishing a diag nosis is difficult because the presenting symptoms are variable. Between 19 85 and 1997, eight: patients ranging in age from 8 to 56 years underwent su rgical excision of cardiac hydatid cysts, located in the interventricular s eptum in two, the right atrium in one, and the intrapericardium in five. Th ere was one hospital death due to septic shock, but the other seven patient s recovered uneventfully.