Al- Anbar Medical Journal

Abstract

Background: Cystic hydatidosis caused by Echinococcus granulosus is an important zoonotic world wide. Although all the sites of the body can be a possible location of the parasite , skin is an example of an uncommon site.Objective : To determine the hydatid cyst which can occur any where in human body even the skin , & can deal with it first due to can do this operation under local anesthesia or possibility of rupture .Materials& Methods: prospective study of five patients present with skin swelling . The diagnoses were made in three cases by incidental finding during operation for exploration of the skin swelling for diagnostic & therapeutic . The remaining two cases diagnosis is preoperative by high suspension .Results: out of five patients aged between 30-70 years with skin swelling (average 50 years ) , three of them incidental discover preoperative with 60 % female & 40 % male .Conclusion & Recommendation : Two of them are as secondary hydatid cyst & other three are primary hydatid cyst . Although it is rare hydatid cyst of skin , it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of skin swelling ,especially in endemic areas.