Posterior fossa epidural hydatid cyst in the adult

Abstract

Hydatid cyst is an important parasitic disease especially in endemic regions. Hydatid cysts are most commonly found in the liver and lungs and only 1% to 2% of the cysts reach the brain. Intracranial hydatid cysts are usually supratentorial and majority of cases are children and young adults. In this case report, a 55-yearold woman who lives in rural area in Turkey, admitted to our clinic with severe headache, neck pain, gait disturbance, and vomiting. Her neurological examination revealed cerebellar ataxia and left dysmetria. Radiological findings were compatible with hydatid cyst. On the 3rd of antihelmintic therapy, the patient underwent suboccipital craniotomy and epidural cyst was excised using Dowling technique without rupture of the cyst wall. Patient’s symptoms improved postoperatively. Although hydatid cyst in posterior fossa is a very rare entity, it should be kept in mind in patients with intracranial cystic lesions who live in endemic regions.