Journal of Bacteriology & Parasitology

Abstract

Echinococcal cyst of the lung at the Parasitology Laboratory of Fann Hospital: A case report

Souleye Lelo*, Babacar Faye, Khadime Sylla, Roger Tine, Aissatou Gaye, Cheikh S Kane, Amadou Dioulde Diallo, Moussa Seck Diop, Moussa Maréme Samba and Souleymane Diatta

Hydatid cysts of the lung are a rare condition in sub-Saharan Africa. They are the second most common site after the liver. Treatment is primarily surgical, although medical treatment has been shown to be effective. We report the first case managed by the thoracic surgery department at the fann university hospital in Dakar. This is a 49-year-old female patient, originally from Mauritania, with no significant medical history, who was referred to us for management of a pulmonary cyst discovered incidentally on a chest Computed Tomography (CT) scan during a routine check-up, with a negative serological test for Echinococcus granulosus. The clinical examination revealed no abnormalities. laboratory results showed white blood cells: 8,620/mm³, haemoglobin: 9.4 g/dl, haematocrit: 30.8 per cent, platelets: 517,000/ mm³. The chest CT scan revealed well-defined, homogeneous, hypodense lesions without vegetations, of fluid like density, located in the right anterobasal region and the left polylobar region (Fowler’s position). Surgery was performed to remove the cyst. Direct examination of the specimen between a slide and a coverslip under a 40 × objective revealed hooks of Echinococcus granulosus. Pulmonary hydatid cysts are rare. Treatment is surgical, whether radical or conservative, and yields good results.

Published Date: 2026-08-19; Received Date: 2026-07-20