Complications of Hydatid Cysts in the Lung

A hydatid cyst, or echinococcus, is a zoonosis frequently formed by the larvas of Echinococcus granulosus. The disease appears as a slowly growing cystic mass and is asymptomatic. The disease is common in the Eastern, Southeastern, and Central Anatolia regions of Turkey. The rate of incidence of the disease in Turkey is reported as 5.7 out of 100,000 individuals. The complications of hydatic cysts appear as different clinical entities depending on the cyst’s being intact or ruptured. The complications of intact cysts are usually compression symptoms, while the infection in the clinical progress of the ruptured cysts and secondary complications to the infecion are frequently seen. In this section, hydatid cyst complications in the lung, extrapulmonary thoracic findings, and respiratory system complications of hydatid cyst cases of the liver will be discussed.