Introduction: Bone echinococcosis or bone hydatidosis is mainly caused by the larva of a dog taenia, Echinococcus granulosus. We described a rare imported case in metropolitan France of spinal cord compression from a primary vertebral hydatidosis.
Case: A 25-year-old woman, native of a rural area in the South of Romania, was admitted for backache and slight weakness of both legs. Radiological findings showed a paravertebral pluricystic lesion invading the spinal canal with spinal cord compression at the T9 level, without associated visceral localization. We performed an urgent surgical decompression using a posterior approach. The whole extradural cysts were carefully excised with irrigation of the cystic fluid with hypertonic saline. Treatment was completed with long-term anti-parasitic chemotherapy.
Discussion: Bone echinococcosis is rare and represents about 2% of hydatidosis. The spine localization is found in half of the cases. This pathology particularly occurs in the Eastern and Southern countries of Mediterranean sheep breeding areas, but still rare in metropolitan France. Spinal cord compression is a frequent presentation of spinal hydatidosis but neurological symptoms are various and non-specific. The reference treatment is removal surgery with particular precautions, followed by an anti-parasitic chemotherapy (albendazole) to limit recurrences. However, a long-term follow-up is mandatory due to later recurrences.
Keywords: Albendazole; Bone; Echinococcus granulosus; Hydatidosis; Spinal cord compression; Spine.
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