Hydatid cyst of the sacrum: A case report

Bone hydatidosis is a rare parasitic infection caused by Echinococcus granulosus, with a frequency of 1-2 %, it has a high morbidity and mortality rate due to its long clinical latency and lack of symptomatic specificity. This often leads to delayed diagnosis and discovery, usually at the stage of complications.

We present a case of sacral hydatidosis in a 71-year-old patient with no prior medical history. The symptomatology was a pelvic pain that had been ongoing for 5 months with constipation and difficulty with defecation. The clinical and radiological findings initially suggested a primary or metastatic malignant tumour. The biopsy revealed a multivesicular cystic lesion, indicating a hydatid cyst of the sacrum, confirmed later by anatomopathological examination. The lesion was almost completely removed, drainage was performed and the patient was put on anti-parasitic treatment.

The clinical presentation of bone hydatidosis is poor and its course is insidious, which often leads to a delay in diagnosis. Medical imaging can provide a precise assessment of the lesion, allowing for extensive surgical resection to be planned. However, therapeutic methods and health education in endemic countries are still the best measures for limiting the considerable damage caused by this parasite.

Hydatid osteopathy is a slow and progressive disease that can be difficult to diagnose early, which can compromise the quality of treatment. Therefore, it is important to focus on preventive measures to eradicate this parasitic infection.