Spontaneous expulsion of intact germinative membrane of liver hydatid cyst in a child.

A 10-year-old girl presented with an acute abdomen because of spontaneous rupture of a liver hydatid cyst (HC) and associated pelvic cystic mass. The pelvic cyst was found to be an intact germinative membrane of the ruptured HC of the liver at operation. This is the first pediatric case presenting with expulsion of an intact germinative membrane of a spontaneously ruptured HC. Intact germinative membrane should be included in the differential diagnosis of intraabdominal and pelvic cystic masses in children. The liver should be evaluated for ruptured cyst, and the lungs should also be evaluated to detect accompanying pulmonary hydatid disease (HD) especially in children living in countries in which the HD is endemic.