Hydatid cyst disease of the spine is rare, and only a few are reported in the scientific
literature. This infection is caused by the larvae of Echinococcus granulosus cestode.
The presentation is usually late because the patient remains asymptomatic for a longer
duration after the infection. The initial form of treatment is always surgical in
a symptomatic patient for excision of the diseased tissue. A 35-year-old male presented
in the outpatient department with a chief complaint of mid-back pain and intermittent
history of fever following his back surgery for 4 years. The patient has taken presumptive
treatment for tuberculosis before presenting it to us. Radiological investigations
dictate the presence of hydatid cyst in the D4 vertebra. Intact cysts were excised
with perioperative albendazole coverage. The patient was mobilized on postoperative
day-1 with Taylor's brace, and the brace was continued for 6 weeks. The patient was
followed up at regular intervals for 1 year, and no recurrence was found. Hydatid
cyst disease in the spine is a rare disease but associated with high morbidity despite
significant advances in diagnostic imaging techniques and surgical treatment. For
a provisional diagnosis, magnetic resonance imaging is the investigation of choice.
Surgical decompression is the main stray of treatment along with antihelminthic therapy.
A close follow-up is required after the initial treatment to find the recurrence at
the earliest.
Key-words:
Decompression - dorsal spine - hydatid cyst
