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Cardiac hydatidosis is extremely uncommon; only a few case series have been reported in the worldwide medical literature. Whereas hydatid cysts develop in the liver or lungs in 90% of patients who have hydatidosis, only 0.5% to 2% of patients thus diagnosed have cysts of the heart. Herein, we present the clinical summaries of 4 patients who had cardiac hydatid cysts-0.5% of the 763 patients who underwent surgery for thoracic hydatidosis over a period of 20 years at Ibn-Alnafis Teaching Hospital in Baghdad, Iraq. In addition, we discuss our operative technique. A year after surgical treatment and medical therapy, all 4 patients were free of hydatid disease.

The article focuses on diagnostic imaging and surgical management of spontaneous multivessel coronary dissection in a 51-year-old postmenopausal woman. A diagnosis of acute inferior myocardial infarction was made based on electrocardiographic (ECG) results. Urgent coronary angiography was performed due to severe angina recurrence, as extensive dissection involving the left anterior descending and left circumflex coronary arteries was seen. Insertion of an intra-aortic balloon pump was made and coronary artery bypass surgery was performed.