This document describes the case of a 5-year-old boy admitted to the hospital with non-resolving cough. Imaging revealed hydatid cysts in both lungs. The patient underwent two separate surgeries to remove intact hydatid cysts from the right and left lungs, with a smooth recovery both times. Hydatid disease, which causes pulmonary hydatid cysts, is common in areas where the disease is endemic. Multiple cysts in both lungs, as in this case, is not rare. Imaging plays an important role in diagnosis and determining treatment.

1. ‫الرحيم‬ ‫الرحمن‬ ‫هللا‬ ‫بسم‬
Bilateral Pulmonary
Hydatid Cysts in a Child
Prof. Abdulsalam Y Taha
College of Medicine
University of Sulaimani
2022 1

2. The Case
 A 5-years old boy was admitted to
Sulaymaniyah Teaching Hospital,
Sulaymaniyah, Region of
Kurdistan, Iraq on 1st of July 2004
because of non-resolving cough.
CXR revealed a small cyst in the
right upper pulmonary zone and a
similar one in the left lower
pulmonary zone. 2

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5. The Case…
 The patient was operated upon via
right posterolateral thoracotomy and a
small intact pulmonary hydatid cyst
(PHC) was removed from the right
upper pulmonary lobe (RUL) with a
smooth recovery. Three months later,
the patient underwent a left
posterolateral thoracotomy for
removal of the second HC from the LLL
with a smooth postoperative course.
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11. Comment
 Hydatid disease is the most common
human cestodosis. Pulmonary
localization is the 2nd largest
visceral locations after liver
localization. The imaging plays an
important role in the diagnosis and
staging. It provides information on
the number, the seat, the
appearance and size of pulmonary
hydatid cysts [1]. 11

12. Comment…
 Multiple pulmonary hydatid cyst is not
rare in areas in which hydatid disease
is highly endemic [2].
 If bilateral intact PHC are
encountered, surgery is offered for the
bigger cyst first. However, if one cyst
is already ruptured, surgery is done on
the intact cyst first to avoid the
complications of its sudden rupture.
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13. Bibliography
[1] Lahroussi M, Khattabi WE, Souki N, Jabri H, Afif H.
Kyste hydatique pulmonaire bilateral [Bilateral
pulmonary hydatid cyst]. Pan Afr Med J. 2016 Jul
28;24:280. French. doi:
10.11604/pamj.2016.24.280.7700.
[2] Sajiai H, Rachidi M, Aitbatahar S, Serhane H, Amro L.
Kyste hydatique pulmonaire: double localisation
pulmonaire apicale inhabituelle. A propos d’un cas
[Pulmonary hydatid cyst: unusual double apical location.
About a case]. Pan Afr Med J. 2016 Nov 14;25:159.
French. doi: 10.11604/pamj.2016.25.159.10357.
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