Secondary multiple intracranial hydatid cysts caused by intracerebral embolism of cardiac echinococcosis: an exceptional case of hydatidosis

Abstract

The authors present an extremely rare case of secondary multiple cerebral echinococcosis caused by presumed intracerebral and arterial embolism of cardiac hydatidosis in a 7-year-old girl. The first manifestations were symptoms of raised intracranial pressure. Unfortunately, before the primary ruptured echinococcosis cyst was detected in the myocardium of the left ventricle, the patient underwent nine operations over an 8-year period for hydatid embolism affecting the brain and the femoral artery and was treated with concurrent mebendazole therapy. The combined therapy would not have been successful without removal of the intracardiac hydatid cyst. This case is unusual because of the multiplicity of intracranial hydatid cysts and its embolic origin from cardiac echinococcosis. The present case is believed to be the first one in which the development of an embolism in the brain was studied by magnetic resonance imaging.