Spinal Hydatid cysts

H cyst can involve many systems, mainly the liver and lungs. The liver is the location of 50-70% of Echinococcus granulosus (EG) cysts while 10-30% are in the lungs and 10% in other regions of body. The spinal and cranial regions are rare areas of involvement. Bone involvement is seen in 0.5-4% (8). Bone lesions are most frequently localized at the spine and pelvis. There is no cyst membrane and unexplained fractures can be observed. It is an important public health issue since surgical treatment is challenging and the cyst does not respond well to medical therapy. Clinical findings are similar to those in other spinal pathologies. It may manifest with many diverse clinical findings ranging from simple low back pain to paraplegia. The most important principle is excision of the cyst without disrupting cyst integrity. Rupture during the first surgery will inevitably cause recurrences with multiple cysts (8, 10).