Conquering new battlegrounds: Successful management of isolated giant retrovesical hydatid cyst with robotic assistance

Abstract

Hydatid disease (HD) is an accidental human parasitic infestation by cestodes and is most commonly caused by Echinococcus granulosus. Liver happens to be the most common site of involvement, although involvement of other organ symptoms is not uncommon. Involvement of the retrovesical pouch by hydatidosis is generally secondary in nature with an incidence of 0.1%-0.5% only. Primary retrovesical hydatid cyst (RVHC) is extremely rare with only few cases in existing literature. RVHC can present with a wide gamut of symptoms ranging from asymptomatic to obstructive uropathy. A 38-year-old male presented to us with complaints of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and was found to have an isolated primary retrovesical hydatid cyst on evaluation. The RVHC had compressed the right ureter leading to a grossly hydronephrotic non-functional right kidney. The patient was started on albendazole therapy and underwent robot assisted right nephroureterectomy and partial pericystectomy for the RVHC. The postoperative period was uneventful with resolution of symptoms. This report highlights the various clinical presentations of RVHC as well as the minimal invasive management of this rare entity.