Turkish Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 2005 , Vol 51 , Num 4

Hydatid Cyst of the Spine: A Case Report

Korhan Barış Bayram 1 ,Sevtap Avcı 2 ,Hikmet Koçyiğit 3 ,Fazıl Gelal 4 ,Alev Gürgan 5
1 İzmir Atatürk Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi 2. Fiziksel Tıp ve Rehabilitasyon Kliniği, İzmir
2 Atatürk Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi, Fizik Tedavi ve Rehabilitasyon Kliniği, İzmir
3 İzmir Atatürk Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi, Fiziksel Tıp ve Rehabilitasyon Kliniği, İzmir, Türkiye
4 Department of Radiology, Atatürk Training Hospital, İzmir, Turkey
5 Atatürk Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi Fizik Tedavi ve Rehabilitasyon Kliniği, İzmir

Spinal hydatid cyst (SHC) is rare and its frequency in all hydatid cysts has been reported to be approximately 1%. It may present with various neurological findings as a consequence of spinal cord and/or radicular nerve root compression depending on the area it occupies. Multiple hydatid cysts were found located in the sacral region in a woman at the age of 30 who presented with the complaints of pain radiating from the left hip to the heel, numbness, urinary incontinence and difficulty in defecation. Success rate of surgery in the patients with SHC is low due to the high risk of rupture of the cyst. Therefore, medical treatment is preferred currently. It is possible to decrease the recurrences and control the disease activity with albendazole treatment. Although it is rarely encountered in physiatry practice, spinal hydatid disease should be considered in the differential diagnosis of spinal cord compression syndrome in endemic countries. 

Keywords : Echinococcosis, polyradiculopathy, neurogenic bladder, albendazole