# Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) Use as Supportive Therapy in a Patient With Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Due to Rupture of a Pulmonary Hydatid Cyst

## TL;DR

A 21-year-old woman with a ruptured lung hydatid cyst causing severe breathing failure was treated with ECMO while waiting for surgery.

## Contribution

This case report adds a new clinical example of ECMO use in ARDS caused by a ruptured pulmonary hydatid cyst.

## Key findings

- ECMO was used successfully as a bridge to surgery in a patient with ARDS due to a ruptured hydatid cyst.
- The patient's condition improved enough to undergo definitive surgical treatment after ECMO support.
- This case highlights the potential role of ECMO in managing severe respiratory failure from rare parasitic complications.

## Abstract

Pulmonary echinococcosis is a parasitic infection that accounts for 20% of the infected cases with echinococcosis. Patients may present after a cyst rupture associated with a variety of complications, including acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is known as supportive therapy for patients with respiratory and cardiac failure, including ARDS associated with multiple causes. Parasitic infection associated with ARDS due to cyst rupture managed with ECMO as bridging to definitive surgical intervention is documented in two previous case reports only. Here, we are presenting a 21-year-old female with a pulmonary hydatid cyst complicated by ARDS and managed with ECMO.