An Unusual Cause of Paraplegia: Extradural Intraspinal Hydatid Cyst

Paraparesia, tetraplegia and radiculopathy caused by direct compression on spinal cord or ischemic changes are observed in approximately 1% of all hydatid cyst cases. A 13 year-old female patient who had been operated for lung hydatid cyst nearly 2.5 years earlier in another medical facility applied to our out-patient department with back pain, weakness in both lower extremities, paraplegia especially in the left lower extremity and paraparesia in the right lower extremity that had started 20 days earlier. During radiological examination, the reason of paraplegia was detected as extradural intraspinal hydatid cyst causing spinal cord compression and the cyst was removed surgically. The said patient, whose neurological symptoms were observed to improve during postoperative early term, is being reported here along with literature reference.