[CT and MRI features of spinal hydatidosis. A report of 8 cases]

Hydatidosis affects the bone in 0.5 to 2% of cases, with 44% of these cases involving the spine. We report 8 cases of vertebral involvement evaluated by CT and/or MRI. Materials and Methods. This retrospective study from January 1996 to August 2000 included seven patients (5 men and 3 women) aged between 28 and 65 years old. The mean age was 45 years old. Five patients underwent CT scan (one by CT-myelography). MRI was available in 4 cases.

Imaging showed multicystic bony lesions. Thoracic involvement was present in 4 cases, lumbar involvement in 2 cases, and sacral involvement in 2 cases. The process involved 2 adjacent vertebrae in 4 cases at the thoracic and lumbar levels and the entire sacrum in the other cases. Only one case of vertebral collapse was noted, but extension into the spinal canal was noted in all cases. Other sites of involvement were also noted, especially in adjacent soft tissues, liver and spleen.

The presence of multicystic vertebral lesions with involvement of adjacent soft tissues and/or distant organs should raise the possibility of spinal hydatidosis in endemic countries.