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).