Maladies neuroinfectieuses

Abstrait

A Rare Case of Primary Spinal Cystic Echinococcosis

Vacaras V, Maior T, Rahovan I, Marias D and Muresanu FD

Background: Hydatidosis is an infection disease caused mostly by the tapeworm Echinococcus granulosus and continues to be a significant health problem in some regions. Spinal involvement is uncommon and found in less than 1% of all cases. Spinal hydatid disease is an important cause of spinal cord compression, especially in endemic countries. Common presenting symptoms are chronic back pain, radiculopathy and lower limb weakness. Early diagnosis, surgical decompression with total removal of the hydatid lesion, when possible, and drug therapy with benzimidazole derivatives is considered to be the most effective therapy.

Case presentation: The purpose of this article is to report a rare case of primary spinal hydatidosis, with more than 50 surgically excised cysts, who admitted to our clinic because of lumbar pain of increasing severity and progressive difficulty with walking, which had lasted for one year.

Conclusion: Despite a correct management, spinal echinococcosis is associated with a high degree of morbidity and mortality. Long-term follow-up is critical, with regular clinical, radiologic and serologic examinations.