Primary Extradural Hydatid Cyst of Spine Causing Acute Paraplegia

Hydatid cysts of the spine are rare, and primary extradural hydatids of the spine are extremely rare. A case of acute paraplegia caused by a primary extradural hydatid cyst of the dorsal spine is reported. In this case, a lipoma of the conus medullaris was found incidentally. A 35-year-old woman presented with sudden-onset paraplegia. In the neurologic examination, she had complete paraplegia and loss of sphincter function and the T12 sensory level. Complete removal of several hydatid cysts was accomplished through a bilateral laminectomy. The patient had not demonstrated recovery 6 months after surgery. Hydatid cysts, although rare, still exist in developing countries and should be considered in cystic lesions of the spine in endemic areas

Brain Abscess After Tonsillectomy

The authors report a case of brain abscess after a tonsillectomy. A 25-year-old man developed headache and dysphasia a few days after a tonsillectomy. A brain abscess was diagnosed and managed. This is a rare complication of a tonsillectomy, especially after the introduction of antibiotics, but it still occurs

Vertebral Hydatidosis

Hydatid disease is prevalent in the sheep-raising areas. Bone hydatidosis is rare and occurs in 1% to 4% of all cases of human hydatidosis. About 50% of cases of bone hydatidosis are spinal. In a retrospective study, 9 patients with hydatid disease of spine who had treated surgically were evaluated. There were 5 men and 4 women, with mean age of 31 years and a range of 19 to 50 years. Diagnosis was made by means of myelography, computerized tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging. The main surgical intervention was laminectomy in all cases. In a case of recurrent disease, vertebrectomy and anterolateral spinal fusion and instrumentation was performed through an anterior transabdominal approach. Surgical field was irrigated by 0.5% silver nitrate and 10% hypertonic saline. Albendazole was given as an adjuvant therapy in the cases of bony involvement. Location of the disease was thoracic in 6 cases, cervical in 2 cases, and lumbar in 1 case. Outcome was excellent in 3 cases, improvement in 1 case, no recovery in 1 case, and recurrence in 3 cases. Spinal hydatidosis is a locally malignant disease with high recurrence rate. Eradication of the disease cannot be achieved even after radical surgery and chemotherapy. Although role of the chemotherapy in the prevention of the disease is not specifically determined, it is recommended in almost all reports. The preferred management is the spinal decompression, vertebrectomy, and instrumentation in appropriate cases and postoperative Albendazole therapy as a chemotherapic drug of choice. The best and ideal treatment is the prevention of the disease by eradication of parasites from the hosts in the endemic areas

Extradural Epidermoid Tumor Mimicking Disc Herniation

Epidermoid tumors of the spine are rare and extradural location is very rare. We report 2 cases of extradural epidermoid cyst of spine. A 35-year-old man with T8/T9 disc space originated mass, and a 57 year-old-man with C6/C7 disc level mass. Magnetic resonance imaging of both patients revealed nonenhancing hypointense mass in both T1 and T2 sequences. Both of them based on a diagnosis of disc herniation underwent surgery, but epidermiod cysts were found. This is very rare presentation for the epidermoid tumors

Spinal Cord Compression Secondary to Extramedullary Hematopoiesis: Case Report and Summary

Extramedullary hematopoiesis is a common compensatory phenomenon to chronic hemolytic anemias. It may be seen in many other conditions including bloody dyscrasias such as leukemia, or as an incidental finding. Common locations of the extramedullary hematopoiesis are liver, spleen, lymph nodes. Spinal cord compression is a rare complication of this entity. We report a spinal cord compression due to extramedullary hematopoiesis. Clinical presentation, diagnosis, and therapeutic options are discussed