Surgical treatment of coronary insufficiency produced by cardiac echinococcosis.

We report two cases in which the pertinent angiographic studies disclosed the presence of hydatid cysts of the left ventricle, producing complete obstruction of the left anterior descending coronary artery in one patient and of the left anterior descending coronary artery and the circumflex coronary artery in the other patient. Both patients were successfully treated by excision of the cyst and myocardial revascularization with saphenous venous bypass grafts. From the analysis of symptoms in cardiac echinococcosis, we concluded that precordial pain is the most common complaint, that it can be due to coronary insufficiency, and that at the present, coronary angiographic studies have to be performed systematically in these patients, since coronary involvement by the cyst can explain some of the clinical manifestations and complications of the disease and can also influence its surgical management.