ULTRASOUND APPEARANCES OF LIVER HYDATID-DISEASE

The grey scale ultrasound features of liver hydatid disease were evaluated on 65 surgically proven cysts in 38 patients. The majority of cysts showed the well-known ultrasound pattern of simple cysts. A minority of lesions were multicystic or gave the appearance of a cyst within a cyst. Occasionally cysts showed a feature which is called the ultrasonographic water lily sign. Hydatid sand was also occasionally seen in the most dependent portion of hydatid cysts. If a hydatid cyst becomes secondarily infected, these typical ultrasound patterns are evidently lost and the ultrasound diagnosis may then become more difficult.