Rest myocardial perfusion scintigraphy showing the invasion of the hydatid cyst in the myocardium.

A cardiac hydatid cyst is a rare complication of the Echinococcus infection, and it is seen in just 0.5% to 2% of all cases. Because it can cause sudden death, removing the cyst is recommended. It is important to determinate the relationship between the cyst and the intra/extracardiac structures before the operation because it is of vital importance during the operation. In our case, we showed that rest myocardial perfusion scintigraphy provided an additional contribution to anatomic imaging in that it showed the invasion of the cyst in the myocardium, which was effectively directing the course of the operation.