[Cerebral vascular accidents due to hydatid embolisms. Apropos of 2 cases]

Hydatid cysts of the brain are very rare. Exceptionally, signs and symptoms are primarily those of acute cerebral ischaemia. Two cases of acute cerebral ischaemia are reported in a 21 year old and 40 year old women. A computed tomographic scan revealed a middle cerebral artery (MCA) infarct and an abrupt cutoff of the MCA at cerebral angiography. A few months later, a CT scan showed cysts in the territory of the infarct. Hydatid cysts were also found in multiple viscera, particularly in the heart. These two observations and some cases reported in the literature suggested that the myocardial cyst may have ruptured into the ventricular cavity, resulting in widespread intravascular dissemination of embryo and causing an acute cerebral infarction. The interest of these cases lies in the rarity of an acute cerebral ischaemia due to hydatid cyst embolism, and in the early diagnosis of cardiac cysts in young patients.