Pancreatic Head Hydatid Cyst Masquerading Cystic Pancreatic Neoplasm in a Young Female

Hydatid Cyst (HC) disease is a zoonotic infection caused by larval stage of Echinococcus granulosus. The disease poses an important public health hazard not only because it is endemic to many parts of the world but also because of migration and travel related spread. HC may develop in almost any part of the body, most commonly found in the liver, followed in frequency by the lung, kidney, brain and bone. Involvement of other organs is rare. In this case report, we describe a rare occurrence i.e., primary HC of pancreas along with review of literature and possible differential diagnosis. Pancreatic HC disease may be associated with complications such as jaundice, cholangitis, and pancreatitis which develop as a result of fistulization of the cyst content into pancreato-biliary ducts or external compression of those ducts by the cyst. Pancreatic HC may mimick pseudocyst or cystic neoplasm of pancreas such as cystadenoma, intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm, cystic islet cell tumour etc.