Magnetic resonance imaging characteristics of musculoskeletal hydatid disease

Hydatid disease is a parasitic infection seen in endemic areas. Musculoskeletal hydatid disease is rarely reported.

To describe the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of musculoskeletal hydatid disease and to highlight the specific findings in the diagnosis of hydatid cysts.

The MRI scans of 29 cases diagnosed as musculoskeletal hydatid disease between 2000 and 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. The localization, size, appearance (unilocular or multilocular), signal characteristics, rim sign, presence of internal septa and membrane, and gadolinium enhancement pattern of hydatid cysts were evaluated.

A total of 29 patients diagnosed with hydatid cyst were included in the study. Of the lesions, 18 were localized in bone and 11 were in soft tissue. The bone hydatid cysts on MRI showed heterogeneous low to intermediate signal intensity on T1-weighted images and high signal intensity on T2-weighted images in the medullary bone. In 15/18 patients, there was also cortical destruction and extension into the adjacent soft tissue planes. In 8/11 cases where the cyst was located in muscle tissue, the "cyst or cysts within a cyst" appearance was observed on MRI. The rim sign was observed in 7/11 cases and the "water lily" sign was noted in 2/11 cases.

MRI provides valuable information for the diagnosis of hydatid disease with its distinctive imaging features. Knowledge of the different patterns of hydatid cysts on MRI may be helpful in the diagnosis of this disease.