[Horse tail syndrome revealing spinal-medullary hydatid disease]

Hydatid disease is an anthropozoonosis caused by the larval stages of the genus Echinoccus granulosus in humans. It mainly occurs in subjects living in the rural and livestock areas in the Mediterranean basin, South America, Near and Middle East. Spinal hydatid disease is rare but it is the most severe form of bone hydatid disease. It mostly affects the dorsal spine, increasing the risk of spinal injury; hence its severity. We here report the case of a 60-year-old female patient admitted with progressive bilateral, poorly systematized, paralyzing lumbar radiculopathy associated with urinary urgency. MRI showed lumbar spinal hydatid disease infiltrating the intra and extra-ductal structures and compressing the roots of the horse tail. The patient underwent surgery through a posterior approach with favorable outcome.