Combined medical and surgical treatment of spinal hydatid disease: a case report

A case of chronic hydatid disease of the dorsal spine is described. The patient had undergone four previous operations over a 26 year period and had suffered recent further deterioration leading to complete paraplegia. On this occasion she was treated by a combination of drug therapy and surgery. She showed some neurological recovery after a two and a half month interval, without evidence of recurrence. The surgery would not have been feasible without concurrent drug therapy.