chest wall hydatidosis: a single institution experience

background hydatidosis is an infectious disease resulting from the development of the larval form of the parasite echinococcus granulosus in humans. the invasion of the chest wall by echinococcosis is rarely described. methods the current study reported all cases of chest wall hydatidosis treated in the department of cardiothoracic surgery from january 1990 to december 2011. results the mean age of the patients was 41.3 ± 16.8 years. males and females were equally affected. the cysts mostly were located at ribs (13 cases) and ribs with vertebrae (10 cases). the chest wall muscles, the sub-cutaneous tissue and the sternum were involved in four, three and two cases, respectively. a costal resection was performed in 13 cases (one to three ribs; mean, 1.5 ribs) and a costovertebral resection was performed in 10 cases (transverse process three, vertebral body four and both three). the other surgical procedures were partial resection of the sternum (two cases) and cystectomy with resection of parietal soft tissue (nine cases). the outcome was favorable for 29 patients. a recurrence was observed in two patients who presented costovertebral and sternal involvements. conclusions the chest wall localization of the hydatid cyst is rare. in the costovertebral involvements, this parasitic disease behaves locally as a bone malignancy. the treatment is surgical and the resection should be large and radical to avoid recurrences.