ABSTRACT

We aimed to present a heart failure patient with a hydatid cyst of the lung, mimicking a phantom tumor.

A 71-year-old male patient presented to the cardiology department of Trakya University School of Medicine with increasing shortness of breath and cough. His hospital admission complaints, heart failure history, and chest radiology results were consistent with a phantom tumor of the lung secondary to congestive heart failure. The patient was given diuretics; however, there was no evidence of resolution or change in the size of the observed cystic lesion. A hydatid cyst as a differential diagnosis was considered, and subsequent questioning of the patient revealed animal contacts. The patient was offered the option of surgical removal of the cyst, which he declined due to the high mortality risk. The patient was prescribed 400 mg of albendazole and was advised to have regular check-ups. In the long term, he showed no further signs and symptoms of hydatid cyst. The hydatid cyst was neither removed nor disappeared, and it continued to be visible on radiological follow-up examinations.

Due to the similarities present in admission complaints and chest examinations, it is challenging to differentiate hydatid cyst of the lung in heart failure patients. Physicians should be aware of the hydatid cyst in the differential diagnosis of pleural cysts and consider patients’ occupation and residency in order to not overlook zoonotic diseases.

Keywords: Hydatid cyst, phantom tumor, congestive heart failure