INTRODUCTION
Hydatid disease is a prevalent health issue, endemic in Middle East, Southeast Asia, Mediterranean countries, and South America accounting for 871,000 disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) annually (1).
It is a zoonotic infection caused by the larval tapeworm ofEchinococcus granulosus . Incidence of hydatid cysts is higher in cattle rearing areas, with 0.8 cases per 100,000 population in Southeast Asia as per World Health Organization (WHO) (2).
Nepal, similar to other developing nations has high incidence of echinococcosis, and cysticercosis, largely because of inadequate hygiene and sanitation (3).
Hydatid cysts occur most frequently in liver (50-77%), lungs (15-47%), spleen (0.5-8%), and kidneys (2-4%)(4). The prevalence of hydatid cysts in the thyroid gland ranges from 0% to 3.4%(4).
Hydatid cyst of thyroid is rare even in endemic countries (5).
Hydatid cyst of the thyroid gland is generally reported to be diagnosed only after surgical excision (5).
Aspiration cytology is widely recognized as the initial step in evaluating thyroid swelling. However, in patients with thyroid hydatid cysts, it can trigger anaphylaxis, dissemination, severe local inflammatory reaction making further surgery difficult (6).
Surgical excision is the treatment of choice for primary hydatid cyst of thyroid. Anti-parasitic medication therapy with albendazole or mebendazole is recommended for patients in whom surgery cannot be done (7).
In line with CARE guidelines, we present a rare case of primary hydatid cyst of thyroid gland diagnosed by FNAC and treated successfully with lobectomy (8).