ABSTRACT

A hydatid cyst is a zoonosis caused by the larval form of the parasitic tapeworm Echinococcus granulosus. Here, we present a case of a vertebral hydatid cyst with paravertebral abscesses, operated 11 years ago. A 32-year-old woman presented with multiple giant paravertebral abscesses at the level of the T11–12 and L1 vertebrae, and a pathological fracture of the L1 vertebra, because of a vertebral hydatid cyst. Posterior instrumentation and fusion followed by anterior L1 corpectomy and fusion were carried out. The patient was pain-free after eleven years of follow-up. There was no radiological evidence of relapse. Hydatid disease of the spine is rare, and misdiagnosis, resulting in inadequate treatment and recurrence, is frequent. Maintaining the stability of the spine and achieving a fusion mass is important when deciding on a surgical technique for vertebral-type hydatidosis.