Traumatic Rupture of a Latent Lung Hydatid Cyst and Drowning and Asphyxia with Hydatid Fluid in a 5-year-old Boy, 2021: A Case Report

Lung involvement is a common presentation of Hydatid disease in children. In addition, giant Hydatid cyst is common in children due to parenchymal elasticity of their lungs. In this study, we presented a case of giant Hydatid cyst that was ruptured following trauma through car accident and lung drowning with Hydatid fluid in a 5-year-old boy.

Our patient was a 5-year-old boy who was injured in a car accident. He had full signs and symptoms of obvious respiratory failure. Based on chest X-ray, the primary diagnosis was congenital pulmonary cyst, so a chest tube was placed for decompression. By evaluation of the chest CT-scan, we detected a communicating rupture of Hydatid cyst. Despite full conservative treatment, patient’s condition was exacerbated. Therefore, we decided to perform surgical intervention for removing the pressure of the cyst on lung. The patient’s condition did not improve. Unfortunately, the patient had cardiac arrest, cardiopulmonary resuscitation was not successful and we lost the patient.

Chest trauma is common in traumatic patients and pleural effusion, empyema, and pneumothorax may occur for a variety of reasons. Various factors can cause these symptoms, and among all the possible causes, the physician should consider the possibility of a ruptured Hydatid cyst following trauma to the lung as one of the differential diagnoses, especially in endemic areas with higher prevalence of Hydatid disease. In the present case, cyst rupture and subsequent drowning and asphyxia with cyst fluid were the main causes of mortality.