[Hydatid cysts of the pancreas, report of two cases].

Background: Hydatid cyst of the pancreas is a rare affection with a frequency less than one percent of the various sites of hydatid disease.

Aim: We report two cases of hydatid cyst of the pancreas. CASE 1: A 49 year old woman with a history of laparotomy for liver and peritoneal hydatid cyst was admitted with recurrent liver and peritoneal hydatid disease associated with a head pancreatic cyst of 3 cm in size. Surgical treatment consisted in a resection of the protruding dome with uneventful postoperative course. CASE 2: A 45 year old man who underwent laparotomy four years ago for hepatic hydatid cyst was admitted with recurrent liver and peritoneal hydatid disease associated with a head pancreatic cyst of 4 cm in size. At laparotomy it was a head pancreatic hydatid cyst without duct pancreatic lesion. The treatment consisted in the resection of the protruding dome. The postoperative evolution was simple.

Conclusion: Hydatid cyst of the pancreas is rare. If associated with another hydatid localization, the diagnosis is generally easy. It can however be more difficult if the pancreatic localization is isolated. In most cases, resection of the protruding dome is sufficient.