Retropectoral cystic echinococcosis : a case report

Abstract EN

Background : Cystic echinococcosis of soft tissue is rare even in endemic areas.

Intermuscular and intramuscular cystic echinococcoses have been occasionally reported in the literature.

Case Presentation: A 40-year-old male was referred to the surgery clinic of Alzahra Hospital, Isfahan, Iran, with a swelling over the right side of his chest in September 2015.

In physical examination, a nontender soft bulging in depth of the right pectoralis major muscle with no skin manifestation was noticeable.

The axial and coronal contrast-enhanced CT scan showed a multicystic mass lesion between the right pectoralis major and minor muscles with extension beneath the pectoralis minor muscle.

The patient underwent a surgery for resection of the mass.

After dissection of the pectoralis major fascia, a large cystic mass was visualized just beneath the muscle with some adhesion to the chest wall.

Histopatholgic study of the surgical specimen also revealed cystic echinococcosis.

Conclusions: This case reveals that cystic echinococcosis should be considered in differential diagnoses of any chest wall swelling.