Mass of the neck: an extremely rare location of hydatid disease.

Abstract

Hydatid disease (HD) is a parasitic zoonosis which was first described by Hippocrates in the ancient years. Liver and lungs are the most commonly affected organs, while neck involvement is extremely rare. We report a case of a 75-year old male, who presented with an isolated right-side cervical mass. After clinical examination and screening tests, HD was diagnosed. Pre-operative and post-operative treatment with albendazole was administered and en-block surgical excision of the mass was performed. Histopathological examination of the specimen confirmed the diagnosis of HD. At one-year follow-up, the patient remained asymptomatic without any signs of recurrence. Although HD of the neck is an extremely rare entity, physicians should always include it in the differential diagnosis of neck masses.