Hydatid disease of the spine causing paraplegia. The combined treatment by surgical drainage and mebendazole: a case report

Abstract

Hydatid disease of the spine is a rare disease with a poor prognosis. Paraplegia is a severe complication and has a low chance for recovery. Surgical drainage and decompression has been the treatment of choice although success was limited. Medical treatment with mebendazole was introduced in 1977 for cystic and alveolar Hydatid disease of the liver. In this paper, a case with Hydatid disease with complete paraplegia is presented. He was treated by combined surgical and medical treatment that included several surgical drainages, decompression, and fusion procedures, accompanied by high dose mebendazole for three years. Recovery from the paraplegia was complete except for the persistence of a neurogenic bladder. Neither clinical nor laboratory evidence of activity of the disease existed after six years of follow-up. This case must encourage further clinical trials in such cases, combining surgical treatment with mebendazole.