Primary Solitary Hydatid Cyst of Brain in a 12-Year-Old Boy: A Case Report

Hydatidosis is a zoonotic disease caused by Echinococcus parasite that frequently involves liver and lungs. Primary intracranial hydatidosis is a rare condition which can be life threatening if ruptured. Here we report an unusual case of primary intracranial hydatid cyst without any other organ involvement, diagnosed in a 12-year-old boy in Emam Reza hospital, Birjand, Iran in November 2016, in order to focus on the importance of proper diagnosis and management, especially in endemic areas.

Hydatid cyst of the quadrigeminal cistern

Intracranial hydatid cyst involves supratentorial area and mainly affecting the middle cerebral artery territory with the predilection of the partial lobe. It can be single - which is the most common - or multiple up to 35 cysts. They tend to be huge at the time of symptomatic presentation especially when they are presented as a solitary lesion with a slow growth rate around 1.5 cm/year, however, it is variable and it can be up to 10 cm/year. Surgical treatment is mandatory for all patients once the correct diagnosis is made, except for patients with multiple organ involvement in poor general conditions and deep-located cysts. The existence of hydatidosis in the cisternal spaces must not be neglected given the capacity of E. granulosus larvae to disseminate via the CSF. In this case report; two and half years’ male child presented with a history of 2 attacks of generalized seizure for the last 72 hours with the head circumference at the upper normal limit for his age. This paper presents the first case report demonstrating a primary single hydatid cyst located in the quadrigeminal cistern in a child. We concluded that in spite of the feasibility of the imaging and the high suspension of cerebral hydatid cyst, still, the reports show more locations which can be described as unusual although for a head to toe suspected distribution of hydatid disease is already understood. An eminent medical and surgical (if indicated) treatment of the primary cerebral hydatid cyst are always effective and recommended.

Cerebral Hydatid Cyst with Intraventricular Extension: A Case Report

Intracranial hydatid cyst is a rare entity, comprising about 2–3% of all hydatid cysts. Similarly, intracranial hydatid cysts account for 1–2% of all intracranial lesions. Clinical symptoms are generally nonspecific and patients usually present with symptoms of increased intracranial pressure. Cerebral hydatid cysts can be either primary or secondary to systemic hydatid disease. Primary cerebral hydatid cysts are usually solitary, unilocular with an intraparenchymal location. Intraventricular extension of hydatid cysts account for a limited percentage of all cerebral hydatid cysts with limited number of cases reported. Herein, we present the imaging and surgical findings of a primary cerebral hydatid cyst that is located in frontal lobe parenchyma with partial extension into the ventricular system.