Primary cardiac echinococcosis: report of two cases with review of the literature.

Two case reports of Saudi patients with primary cardiac hydatid cysts are presented. In the first case, a multilocular cyst was located in the wall of the left ventricle, whereas in the second case a cyst was located in the pericardial sac and another cyst in the left ventricular wall. The diagnosis was based on a history of animal contact, full clinical examination, serological tests and the use of plain radiography, including conventional tomogram, two-dimensional echocardiography, computed tomography and thallium perfusion isotope scan. This study has indicated that non-invasive radiological methods are sufficient to diagnose cardiac echinococcosis and could provide the same information as, or even more than if invasive techniques were used. Further screening of the two patients showed no involvement of other organs by hydatid cysts.