Multiple hydatid cysts of the neck, the nasopharynx and the skull base revealing cervical vertebral hydatid disease

Hydatid disease is caused by the parasitic tapeworm Echinococcus. This parasite in larval stage can thrive in many parts of the body, most commonly in the liver and the lung. Hydatid disease in the head and neck is uncommon and hydatid cyst presents rarely as a cervical mass. Cervical vertebral echinococcosis is rare. We report a 14-year-old girl with multiple cervical spine hydatid cysts of the C1-C2 vertebrae that spread into the surrounding paravertebral tissues and involve the nasopharynx and the skull base particularly the left jugular foramen. This process has caused a progressive swelling in the left side of the neck located in the retrostyloid compartment of the parapharyngeal space with paralysis of cranial nerves (VI, IX, X, XI, XII). The diagnosis was made based on the image obtained from CT and MRI examinations. Characteristics of this rare disease, diagnosis and treatment difficulty are discussed. © 2003 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.