Cardiac Echinococcosis: Rare and Challenging Presentations—A Case Series

Cardiac hydatid cysts are rare manifestations of Echinococcus infection. We retrospectively reviewed five patients (4 female, 1 male, age range 26-58) managed at a single center between 2009 and 2024. Presentations were chest pain (n = 2), lumbalgia (n = 1), abdominal pain (n = 1), or asymptomatic (n = 1). Initial work-up involved X-ray or transthoracic echocardiography, but cardiac magnetic resonance confirmed diagnosis in all cases. Cysts involved both intramyocardial and epicardial layers (n = 2), the interventricular septum (n = 2), or the right atrium (n = 1). Awareness of this entity is essential in endemic regions when evaluating cardiac cystic masses.