Acute Appendicitis Caused by an Echinococcal Brood Capsule Unmasks an Asymptomatic Hepatic Hydatid Cyst.

Hydatidosis is an endemic helminthic disease in the cattle-grazing regions of Asia. It is usually caused by the cestode Echinococcus granulosus . Internal organs, particularly the liver and lungs, are predominantly affected, but the appendix is only rarely involved with the formation of characteristic hydatid cyst. We present a unique case of appendiceal hydatidosis in an 18-year-old woman with acute appendicitis. Her preoperative abdominal ultrasound revealed an asymptomatic hydatid cyst in the liver. An echinococcal brood capsule was detected postoperatively within the appendicular lumen under microscope.