Clinical and Laboratory Presentation of Hydatid Disease: A Study From Northeast India

IntroductionHydatid disease is an immense health problem in developing countries. The diagnosis of hydatid cyst is often difficult because of its protean manifestations. Our objective was to evaluate the various clinical and laboratory presentations of hydatid disease and various modalities of treatment from a tertiary care center.Materials and methodsWe reviewed the clinical and laboratory features of patients presenting with hydatid cyst through retrospective analysis from January 2018 to December 2019 from a tertiary care hospital in northeast India.ResultsOf the 26 adult patients with hydatid cysts who were part of the study, 14 (53.8%) were males and 12 (46.2%) were females. The mean age was 34.6 years. The most common site of involvement was the liver (69%) followed by lung (19.2%) and brain (7.7%). Palpable mass in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen was the most common symptom (88.3%) for liver hydatid cyst followed by pain abdomen (66.6%). Systemic symptoms like fever and weakness were present in most of the patients. The majority of patients (80%) were from rural areas.ConclusionHydatid cysts present with varied symptomatology. History of exposure to infected animals may not be present. A high degree of clinical suspicion combined with meticulous history and clinical examination supported by laboratory investigations are required for its diagnosis.