BACKGROUND: Cardiac involvement in cystic echinococcosis is rare, particularly in children, and interventricular septal localization may cause life-threatening arrhythmias. CASE PRESENTATION: An 11-year-old girl developed sudden cardiac arrest during biopsy of a dorsal hydatid cyst. After prolonged resuscitation, transthoracic echocardiography revealed a 5.3 × 4.6 cm cyst within the interventricular septum. Computed tomography demonstrated concomitant hepatic involvement. Serology confirmed echinococcosis. The patient subsequently developed recurrent ventricular arrhythmias and complete atrioventricular block, requiring urgent surgical excision and implantation of an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, followed by albendazole therapy. CONCLUSION: This case highlights the risk of occult cardiac involvement in pediatric echinococcosis and underscores the importance of comprehensive pre-procedural evaluation.
Küllüoğlu et al. (Fri,) studied this question.