Paraplegia Revealing Primary Extradural Spinal Hydatidosis

Salem Bouomrani^1,2*, Nizar Khlass¹, Moez Ben Ayed^2,3, Oussema Souissi¹ & Nesrine Regaïeg^1,2

¹Department of Internal Medicine, Military Hospital of Gabes, Tunisia
²Sfax Faculty of Medicine, University of Sfax, Tunisia
³Department of Orthopedics, Regional Hospital of Gabes, Tunisia

Dr. Salem Bouomrani, Department of Internal Medicine, Military Hospital of Gabes, Tunisia.

Keywords: Paraplegia; Extradural Hydatid Cyst; Spine; Hydatidosis; Echinococcosis

Abstract

Spinal hydatidosis is exceptional: prevalence estimated at less than 1% of all localizations of the hydatid disease. Extradural forms of spinal hydatid cyst are rare and only a few sporadic cases have been reported in the medical literature. It is characterized by its high clinical latency, potential severity, and frequent recurrence. It can present itself as a real neurological emergency: spinal cord compression and cauda equina syndrome. It is thus recommended to evoke this diagnosis in front of any symptomatology of non-traumatic spinal cord compression in endemic areas for this parasitosis.
We report an original observation of acute paraplegia revealing a primary extradural hydatid cyst of the dorsal cord in a young Tunisian man.

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