Multiple cerebral hydatid cysts. Report of a case with 24 pieces

A case of 19 years old female patient with 24 large primary cerebral hydatid cysts, in different localisations is presented. Cysts were removed unruptured by five separate operations in 6 months. The patient was observed to be in good health 1 year after the last operation. This case is the first case presented that contains such high number of cysts to our knowledge. The importance of MRI examination in localizing the cysts and designing the operative plan is emphasized. Interestingly, albendazole, which is an antiparasitic drug, was reported to be ineffective by infectious disease department of our hospital, because of large diameter of the cysts, in this case.