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[Cerebral hydatic cysts in children]
S Ben Becher1, M Cheour, L Ben Hassine
1Service de pédiatrie, urgences et consultations externes, hôpital d'Enfants, Tunis-Jebbari, Tunisie.
Insights
Echinococcus granulosus brain cysts are rare in children from endemic areas. Early brain CT scans are crucial for diagnosing and locating these cysts to manage intracranial hypertension effectively.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Infectious Diseases
- Radiology
Background:
- Echinococcus granulosus infections can cause brain cysts, particularly in children residing in endemic regions.
- Cerebral echinococcosis is an uncommon but serious condition requiring prompt diagnosis and management.
Observation:
- Six pediatric patients presented with progressive intracranial hypertension due to supratentorial brain cysts.
- Brain CT scans revealed unilocular or multilocular cysts, with some cases showing co-existing cysts in other organs or generalized disease.
Findings:
- Surgical excision of brain cysts led to recovery in five out of six children.
- One patient with generalized echinococcosis died post-operatively, highlighting the potential severity of the condition.
Implications:
- Progressive intracranial hypertension in endemic areas necessitates urgent brain CT evaluation to identify Echinococcus cysts.
- Timely diagnosis and surgical intervention are critical for favorable outcomes in pediatric cerebral echinococcosis.
Background:
Brain cysts caused by Echinococcus granulosus are rare; they occur during childhood in endemic areas.
Patients:
Six children, aged to 8.5-years old (mean age: 5.5 years) were admitted from 1989 to 1994 because they suffered from progressive intracranial hypertension. The brain CT-scan showed typical features of supratentorial, unilocular (four cases) or multilocular (two cases) cysts. Three children had positive serological test; two had another cyst into their lung or liver and the third had generalized cysts. This last patient died post-operatively while the five others recovered after excision of cysts.
Conclusion:
Any progressive intracranial hypertension in endemic areas requires brain CT-scan that clearly identifies the cyst and its location.