Hydatid Disease of the Kidney

Hydatid disease of kidney is extremely rare and constitutes only 2–3% of all cases and usually associated with hydatid disease of liver or lungs (Diamond et al. 1976). Primary hydatid disease of kidney without the involvement of the liver and lungs is even rarer (Gogus et al. 2003). The age of the patients is 30 and 50 years (Aragona et al. 1984). The cyst is usually single and lies in the cortex of the kidney (Poulios 1991). The symptoms depend on the size and extent of the cyst. These cysts may reach an enormous size before becoming symptomatic (Poulios 1991). Patients may be asymptomatic if the cyst is closed but are symptomatic if it is communicating with the pelvis. In majority of patients, a palpable mass is the only clinical sign (Halim and Vaezzadeh 1980; Baxter-Smith et al. 1987). Clinically, renal hydatid cysts may remain asymptomatic for many years or may present with lumbar pain, haematuria, intermittent fever or hypertension (Haines et al. 1977; Handa and Harjai 2005).