Subcutaneous hydatidic cyst: report of two cases in Huancayo, Peru

Abstract

Hydatidosis is a zoonotic infection that can invade many organs in the human being. Nevertheless, the subcutaneous tissue is the less affected organ by this disease. When this disease appears, little symptomatology is observed, which causes prolonged periods of disease associated to delayed diagnosis and a poor answer to the antiparasitic therapy. The central mountain range of Peru is the geographical zone with the greatest prevalence, presumably due to the inadequate measures of environmental sanitation, the lack of education and the almost non-existent control measures of the disease. With the aim to discuss the problems related to the subcutaneous location and its probable physiopathology, this study reports two cases of subcutaneous hydatidosis that appeared with tumor lesions with a prolonged evolution and that did not affect the liver or the lungs and which were finally treated by means of surgical removal due to the lack of response to treatment with albendazol.