Abstract

Hydatidosis is a parasitic disease caused by the Echinococcus granulosus parasite. It is a cosmopolitan zoonosis prevalent in farming areas, particularly around the Mediterranean. Cardiovascular localization is rare, and pulmonary hydatid embolism is a rare and potentially serious complication.
It results from the rupture of a hydatid cyst into the venous return circulation, often of hepatic origin, or from the direct rupture of the hydatid cyst into the right cardiac cavities.
Imaging techniques, particularly thoracic angiography, are essential for diagnosis and to investigate other localizations of the hydatid cyst. The management of pulmonary hydatid embolism is delicate and remains poorly defined.
We report the case of a pulmonary hydatid embolism complicated by pulmonary infarctions, secondary to a ruptured hepatic hydatid cyst into the inferior vena cava.

Key words: Hydatid disease, Pulmonary embolism, Pulmonary infarction, CT-fundings