Chest Wall Hydatid Cyst with Rib Involvement Mimicking a Chest Wall Neoplasm in a Young Woman: A Case Report

Background: Extrapulmonary hydatid disease is uncommon and may mimic a chest wall or rib neoplasm, particularly when osseous destruction is present. Case presentation: We present a case of 20-year-old female presented with a gradually progressive left chest wall swelling and intermittent pain. Contrast-enhanced CT showed a multiloculated lesion involving the left sixth rib, with cortical destruction and extension toward the paravertebral and neural foraminal regions. The lesion was initially suspected to represent a neoplastic process based on its radiological features and associated rib destruction. Intraoperative identification of multiple daughter cysts raised suspicion of hydatid disease, subsequently supported by histopathological examination. This case highlights the diagnostic difficulty of extrapulmonary hydatidosis and the importance of considering parasitic disease in atypical chest wall lesions. Intervention and outcome: Thoracotomy with cyst excision and resection of the involved rib was performed. Multiple daughter cysts were identified intraoperatively, and histopathology was reported as suggestive of Echinococcus. The postoperative course was uneventful; albendazole 400 mg twice daily was prescribed for 21 days, and the patient was clinically stable at three-month follow-up. Conclusion: Hydatid disease should be considered in the differential diagnosis of cystic chest wall or rib lesions with bone destruction in endemic settings. Preoperative recognition is important because cyst rupture or spillage may affect operative planning.