Echinococcosis is a parasitic disease caused by infestation of various body tissues by the encysted larvae of Echinococcosis granulosa, the tapeworm. The definitive host for the adult form is usually the dog, where the tapeworm lives in large numbers in the intestines. The disease is related to the inefficiency of environmental health and protective care and dealing with animals, which is prevalent in South America, Africa, Australia, the Mediterranean countries and the Middle East. Cerebral hydatid cysts are rare and comprise only 2% to 3% of all reported hydatid cysts. They constitute up to 3% to 4% of all intracranial space-occupying lesions.1–6 The parietal region is reported to be the most common location of cerebral hydatid cysts.1–3,7–14 On MR, the signal intensity of the cyst is isointense with cerebrospinal fluid on all pulse sequences. Variable amounts of septa can be observed. The MRI demonstrates the hydatid cyst as a spheral, thin-walled structure containing fluid with CSF imaging characters.8,14–16 Cerebral hydatid cysts are benign, slowly growing cysts. The lesions may remain asymptomatic until they are quite large.
Figure 1.
T1-weighted axial image showing a cystic lesion with a well-defined border in the left parietal region and a markedly left-to-right midline shift
Figure 2.
T2-weighted axial image showing a gigantic right thalamic hydatid cyst causing displacement of the midline structures.
Figure 3.
T2-weighted axial MR image showing a gigantic right frontotemporoparietal hydatic cyst causing displacement of the midline structures.
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