Hydatid cyst – A journey to the center of the heart

ABSTRACT Cardiac hydatid cysts are a rare cause of cystic cardiac masses, most frequently encountered in cattle and sheep rearing areas. They may have varied clinical presentations. Transthoracic echocardiography demonstrating the cystic cardiac mass is the initial investigation of choice for cardiac hydatid cyst. Cardiac computed tomography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, along with serologic tests and histopathological examination of the excised specimen, help in confirming the diagnosis. Surgical resection is the treatment of choice. We present a case of cardiac hydatid cyst in an 18-year-old male, a farmer by occupation, who presented to us with complaints of exertional breathlessness and palpitations for 2 years.