Surgical Treatment of Cerebral Hydatid Cysts

INTRODUCTION: Cerebral hydatid cysts are caused by the cranial intraparenchymal settlement and growth of tenia echinococcus embrio. CT reveals well-circumscribed, non-contrast enhanced, intraparenchymal homogenous cystic mass. Cyst fluid is isointense like cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Operation is the most preferred therapeutic approach in cerebral hydatid cyst. We presented four cases that underwent operation at the past 5 years to attract attention to cerebral hydatid cyst which became evident in our country recently.
METHODS: We had four cases with cerebral hydatid cyst that underwent operation between 2015 and 2020.
RESULTS: We had three male one female patient. Their age was between 9 and 16 and mean age was 13. Three of them had solitary; one patient had multiple hydatid cyst. Common complaint of our cases was headache. The patients had seizure, diplopia, homonim hemianopia, and strabismus due to bilateral 6th nerve palsy.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Cerebral hydatid cyst is most commonly seen in childhood (70%). All of our cases had headache and papillary stasis. In addition, our 2nd case had epilepsy, 3rd case had right homonim hemianopsia, and 4th case had diplopia. Recently, due to the situations in the middle east, lots of immigrants left their countries and live abroad, some of those were already contaminated. We can state that we have to refresh our knowledge about hydatid cysts and be aware that new cases may arise due to immigration patterns.