Childhood Hydatid Disease at the Pietersburg Hospital in Polokwane, Limpopo Province, South Africa: A Case Presentation - Abstract
Hydatid disease caused Echinococcus species is a problem in many countries, especially in the developing world. We report 3 cases of 3, 8 and 10 years old respectively. The first case is a 3 year old girl who presented with cough, chest pains, abdominal pains and difficulty in breathing. On radiological imaging she had extensive bilateral pulmonary cystic lesions, with some liver involvement as well. Serology (indirect haemagglutination) was positive for Echinococcus with a titre of 1:1024. The second case involves an 8 year old boy who presented with cough and fever. Radiological Imaging showed a single giant pulmonary cystic lesion on the right. Echinococcus serology (indirect haemagglutination) was negative, however fluid aspirated from the cyst was found to have Echinococcus scolices on histology. The last
case is a 10 year old girl who presented with chronic cough associated with vomiting, chest pains, fever and difficulty in breathing. Radiological imaging showed a well-defined pulmonary soft tissue dense lesion. Serology (indirect haemagglutination) was positive for Echinococcus with a titre of 1; 1024. All the 3 cases are from rural areas with livestock subsistence farming with dogs kept as pets. Two cases were treated
medically with albendazole and responded well. The other case was treated with a combination of albendazole and surgery with good outcome.
Conclusion: A high index of suspicion is required when dealing with cystic lesions in organs, especially for those working in rural areas like ourselves.