Background Cardiac hydatid cysts are uncommon presentation of heart disease that most often affects the left ventricle of the heart. The clinical picture may be quite different and may include arrhythmias and myocarditis up to a potentially life-threatening embolism of the cystic contents in cases of rupture into a cardiac chamber. Early and proper diagnosis is very important to avoid serious complications, such as infection and rupture of cysts. Even though medical treatment can bring certain control, surgery is the preferred type of treatment, which has good results and a low possibility of recurrence in cases where it is performed early. Methodology This retrospective case-series study examined five patients diagnosed with cardiac hydatid cysts between January 2018 and July 2024. All cases were handled by a qualified cardiac surgeon at Al-Anbar Governorate in Iraq. The effectiveness and safety of surgical management were evaluated based on clinical information, radiographic findings, surgical procedures, and post-operative experiences. Results All five patients successfully underwent successful excision of the cardiac hydatid cysts. In all cases, the post-operative course was uneventful, except for one patient who developed significant post-operatve bleeding requiring re-exploration. There were no deaths, and high-quality clinical recovery was achieved. No incidence of cyst rupture, secondary infection, or cyst reccurrence was reported during the follow-up period. Conclusions Although uncommon, cardiac hydatid cysts should be included in the diagnosis of cardiac masses, particularly in endemic areas. Echocardiography and high-tech imaging should be used to diagnose heart disease early to prevent severe complications. Surgery has been the pillar of treatment as it offers high success rates with low risk in case it is performed in a timely and careful manner. The positive results in this series prove the necessity of timely surgical referral and multidisciplinary treatment.
Muhsin et al. (Fri,) studied this question.