Hydatid disease of the brain and spine.

Hydatid disease of the central nervous system is relatively rare and comprises about 2-3% of all the hydatid cyst cases reported in the world. Spinal hydatid disease is an even rarer entity. It is endemic in sheep and cattle-raising regions, seen mainly in Mediterranean countries including Turkey and Syria. Pediatric neurosurgeons in non-endemic countries face a challenge when they encounter children with hydatid cysts of the central nervous system, mostly due to lack of awareness and the ensuing diagnostic dilemmas. It is also a significant socioeconomic problem in developing countries, due to improper hygiene and lack of dedicated veterinary practice. The clinical features are largely nonspecific and very according to location and severity of disease. However, with the advent of advances in MR imaging, the diagnostic accuracy of hydatic disease involving the brain and spine has increased. Intact removal of the cyst/s, without causing any spillage, and appropriate antihelminthic therapy is the goal and key to cure and prevention of recurrence. In this manuscript, the current literature on hydatid cyst of the brain and spine is reviewed to better understand the epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnostic accuracy, and advances in therapeutic options. A heightened clinical suspicion, awareness of MR imaging features, improved surgical strategies, and options for prevention are discussed.

Hydrocephalus in patients with neurofibromatosis type 1: MR imaging findings and the outcome of endoscopic third ventriculostomy.

Although hydrocephalus associated with NF-1 is not rare, up to now the MR imaging findings in these patients and the role of ETV in the treatment of hydrocephalus associated with NF-1 have not been investigated thoroughly. We present the MR imaging findings of hydrocephalus associated with NF-1 in 7 of 54 patients with NF-1. Although the types of obstruction were various, including aqueductal web, superior velum medullary synechia, periaqueductal/tectal hamartomas, cerebellar and pontine tegmentum hamartomas, brain stem glioma, or a combination, the presence of hamartomas was a consistent finding in patients with NF-1 with hydrocephalus. In 5 cases, 8 ETV procedures were performed and followed for up to 53 months. All children treated with ETV were shunt-free at their most recent examinations. ETV may be the primary procedure for the treatment of hydrocephalus associated with NF-1, regardless of the cause and the level of the obstruction.

Is all "communicating" hydrocephalus really communicating? Prospective study on the value of 3D-constructive interference in steady state sequence at 3T.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: 3D-constructive interference in steady state (3D-CISS) sequence has been used to assess the CSF pathways. The aim of this study was to investigate the additive value of 3D-CISS compared with conventional sequences in the diagnosis of obstructive membranes in hydrocephalus. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 134 patients with hydrocephalus underwent MR imaging examination with a 3T unit consisting of turbo spin-echo, 3D-CISS, and cine phase-contrast (cine PC) sequences. 3D-CISS was used to assess obstructive membranes in CSF pathways compared with other sequences. Cine PC, follow-up imaging, and surgical findings were used to confirm obstructive membranes. RESULTS: Comparing the number of noncommunicating cases by using the conventional and 3D-CISS images, we found 26 new cases (19.4%) of 134 cases that were previously misdiagnosed as communicating hydrocephalus by conventional images. 3D-CISS sequence identified obstructive membranes invisible in other sequences, which facilitated selection of neuroendoscopy in the treatment of 31 patients (23.1%) in total who would have been otherwise treated with shunt insertion. These patients included 26 newly diagnosed noncommunicating cases after demonstration of intraventricular and/or fourth ventricular outlet membranes and 5 cases of communicating hydrocephalus with obstructing cisternal membranes. There were obstructions of the foramina of Luschka in 22 of 26 newly found noncommunicating cases. CONCLUSIONS: Conventional sequences are insensitive to obstructive membranes in CSF pathways, especially in the fourth ventricular exit foramina and the basal cisterns. 3D-CISS sequence, revealing these obstructive membranes, can alter patient treatment and prognosis.

Endoscopic treatment of in utero diagnosed suprasellar arachnoid cyst and development of salt wasting.

Suprasellar arachnoid cysts are rare lesions that constitute approximately 5-12.5% of all arachnoid cysts. We present a male infant diagnosed in utero with suprasellar arachnoid cyst and treated with endoscopic ventriculocystocisternotomy on the 38th day of life. The patient developed hyponatremia as a result of cerebral salt wasting after the operation.

Intraoperative MR imaging: preliminary results with 3 tesla MR system.

UNLABELLED: Aim of this study is to present the initial clinical experience with 3 tesla intraoperative MR (ioMR). MATERIAL AND METHODS: The 3T MRI suite is built adjacent to the neurosurgical operation theatre. The magnet room and the operation theatre are interconnected by a door and both RF-shielded. Before the operation, the magnet (3T Trio, Siemens) and the console rooms are disinfected. Whenever imaging is needed during the operation, the door is opened and the patient is transferred from the operation table to the magnet cradle. Axial, sagittal and/or coronal TSE T2, SE T1 and 3D Flash T1 weighted images (4-6 mm section thickness, 1 mm interslice gap) are obtained according to the lesion. Total examination time is approximately 10 minutes. RESULTS: Twenty-six patients were examined with ioMR. There were ten female and seven male patients. Lesions were pituitary adenoma in 10, low grade glial tumor in 9, meningioma and high grade glial tumor in 2 each and metastasis, haemangioblastoma and chordoma in one each. Follow-up time was 1 to 9 months. In 16 patients the first intraoperative examination revealed gross total tumor excision. However, in 10 patients due to tumor remnants surgical intervention was continued and a second examination revealed gross total tumor excision in all. Postoperative routine MR examinations confirmed total tumor excision in all patients. No complication occurred in this series. CONCLUSION: This small group of patients examined with ioMR demonstrated that the procedure is simple, helpful in achieving gross total tumor excision without complications.

Outcome determinants of pterional surgery for tuberculum sellae meningiomas.

BACKGROUND: Current literature on tuberculum sellae meningiomas is very heterogenous due to wide variation in nomenclature, diagnostic and operative techniques. The aim of this study is specifically to analyze the results of pterional craniotomy for tuberculum sellae meningiomas. A homogenous cohort of 42 consecutively operated tuberculum sellae meningioma cases are reviewed with special emphasis on the effects of pterional microsurgery on visual outcome. METHODS: This is a retrospective clinical analysis. 42 consecutive patients operated upon during the period of 15 years in a single institution using standard imaging protocols and pterional microsurgery are presented and effect of various variables on visual outcome analysed. FINDINGS: 81% of the patients presented with visual symptoms. The mean duration of symptoms was 12 months. Tumour volumes ranged from 7.5 to 210 mm(3). A right sided pterional microsurgery was used in all patients. Complete resection rate was 81%. Vision improved in 58%, worsened in 14%. Non-visual morbidity was 7.1% and mortality was 2.4%. The follow up period of patients ranged from 3 to 192 months (median: 30 months). The mean was 37.5 months (SD = +/-36.7 months) and a recurrence rate of 2.4% was observed. CONCLUSIONS: A standard pterional craniotomy using microsurgical technique provides the necessary exposure enabling total removal while keeping the complications to a minimum. Upon analysis of our findings we found that patient age of more than 60, duration of visual symptoms longer than 1 year, severe visual symptomatology, predominantly vertical growth, presence of significant peri-tumoural oedema, absence of an intact arachnoid plane and subtotal removal were correlated with a dismal visual outcome.

A retrospective review of cervical corpectomy: indications, complications and outcome.

BACKGROUND: Cervical corpectomy is a common spinal surgery procedure used to decompress the spinal cord in numerous degenerative, traumatic and neoplastic conditions. The aim of this study was to investigate the indications, complications and outcomes in past cervical corpectomy cases at one centre. METHOD: 72 patients who underwent cervical corpectomy between February 1992 and June 2001 were retrospectively investigated. FINDINGS: The indications for this operation were degenerative spondylitic disease (26 cases; 36.1%), trauma (18 cases; 25%), tumour (11 cases; 15.3%), infection (10 cases; 13.9%), and ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (7 cases; 9.7%). Thirty-seven patients (51.4%) underwent one-level corpectomy, and 35 (48.6%) underwent two-level corpectomy. Autografts were used in 13 cases (18.1%) and allografts were used in 59 cases (81.9%). Anterior plate-screw fixation was performed in all cases. There were 31 postoperative complications in 15 (20.8%) patients. Twelve of the complications were surgical, 5 were graft-related, 7 were plating-related, and 7 were medical. Solid bony fusion was achieved in 65 (92.9%) of the 70 surviving patients. The mean follow-up time was 23.4 months. An overall favourable outcome was achieved in 88% of cases. CONCLUSION: The outcomes in this series indicate that cervical corpectomy is an effective method for treating traumatic lesions, degenerative disease, tumours and infectious processes involving the anterior and middle portions of the cervical spine.

Anterior transcallosal approach to the colloid cysts of the third ventricle: case series and review of the literature.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the results of the anterior transcallosal approach to the colloid cysts of the third ventricle. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis of the patients operated on between 1986 and 2003 was carried out. There were 19 patients (10 female, 9 male) with a median age of 43. The main presenting symptom was headache. One of the patients presented with acromegaly due to a pituitary tumor. The size of the cysts ranged from 15 to 43 mm. An anterior transcallosal approach was used in all patients. RESULTS: The cysts were excised totally in all cases. Postoperatively no recent memory loss has been detected in any patient. One patient with hemorrhagic papil stasis experienced temporary visual worsening. In one patient with hydrocephalus a ventriculoperitoneal shunt was needed. One patient with postoperative superior frontal gyrus venous infarction had a seizure. The follow-up period was from 1 month to 13 years (mean 5.2 years). To date, there has been no recurrence so far. CONCLUSION: The anterior transcallosal approach is a safe method for the treatment of third ventricular colloid cysts.

Multimodality management of 26 skull-base chordomas with 4-year mean follow-up: experience at a single institution.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze a series of patients with pathologically confirmed skull-base chordoma, and to develop an algorithm for the management of this challenging disease based on the data, our experience, and the current literature. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between the years 1986 and 2001, 26 chordoma patients received multimodality treatment with various combinations of conventional surgery, skull-base surgical techniques, and gamma-knife surgery at the Marmara University Faculty of Medicine. A total of 57 procedures (43 tumor excision surgeries, 7 gamma-knife procedures, and 7 other operations to treat complications) were performed. The mean follow-up period was 4 years (48.5 months). Karnofsky scoring was used to follow the patients' clinical conditions, and magnetic resonance image analysis was used to measure tumor volume over time. RESULTS: Seven patients died during follow-up. Two of the deaths were due to surgical complications, four resulted from clinical deterioration related to tumor recurrence, and one was unrelated to neoplasia. The rate of tumor recurrence after the first surgical treatment was 58%. Residual tumor volume was lower in the cases in whom skull-base approaches were used as first-line management. The 19 survivors showed little change in clinical status from initial diagnosis to the most recent follow-up check. The mean follow-up time after gamma-knife treatment was 23.3 months. During this period, mean tumor volume increased 28% above the mean volume at the time of gamma-knife surgery. The mean Karnofsky score decreased by 6% during the same time frame. CONCLUSIONS: The most effective first-line treatment for chordoma patients is surgery. The findings for residual tumor volume indicated that skull-base approaches are the best surgical option, and the complication rates for these techniques are acceptable. However, it is rare that surgery ever biologically eradicates this disease, and the data showed that these chordomas almost always progress if the tumor volume at the time of diagnosis exceeds 20 cm(3). Based on our experience and the biological character of the disease, we now advocate radiosurgical treatment (gamma-knife in our case) immediately after the first-line skull-base surgery when the tumor residual volume is <30 cm(3).

Serial MRI and MRS studies with unusual findings in Rasmussen's encephalitis.

Rasmussen's syndrome is characterized by intractable seizures and progressive neuropsychiatric deterioration secondary to unilateral cortical inflammation and tissue destruction. Diagnosis of Rasmussen's syndrome in the early phase depends mainly on the clinical features. Neuroimaging and histopathologic examinations may not be specific during this period. We report a case of Rasmussen's syndrome followed by serial MRI and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) studies over a 3- to 16-month period. A healthy 6-year-old boy presented with focal motor seizures. An MRI study demonstrated prominent enlargement and T2 hyperintensity of the left mesial temporal lobe and perisylvian region. This early finding evolved to volume loss and later progressive atrophy of the ipsilateral hemisphere when epilepsia partialis continua occurred. Being aware of those early MRI features in a patent with increasing frequency of focal motor seizures should suggest Rasmussen's syndrome. In addition, we found prominently increased myoinositol concentration in atrophic cortex which might reflect increased gliosis in the late period of the disease.

Expression of structural proteins and angiogenic factors in cerebrovascular anomalies.

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to describe the expression of matrix proteins and angiogenic factors in cerebrovascular malformations. METHODS: Forty-six cerebrovascular malformations were immunohistochemically investigated with a battery of staining for five structural proteins (collagen IV, collagen III, smooth muscle actin, fibronectin, and laminin), and three angiogenic factors (vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF], basic fibroblast growth factor [bFGF], and transforming growth factor alpha [TGFalpha]). The lesions consisted of 34 arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), 10 cavernous malformations (CMs), and 2 venous angiomas. Expression intensity for each histological layer in the abnormal vessel wall was graded and compared. RESULTS: AVM endothelia and subendothelia expressed more laminin and collagen IV than the same layers of CMs. Conversely, CMs expressed more fibronectin than AVMs. CM endothelia exhibited more prominent staining for smooth muscle actin than AVM endothelia. AVMs and CMs expressed VEGF in the endothelium and subendothelium, and TGFalpha in endothelial and perivascular layers. However, unlike AVMs, CMs expressed bFGF in the endothelium as well. The brain tissue intermingled within AVMs also expressed growth factors. Modified glial cells in the brain tissue adjacent to CMs expressed bFGF and TGFalpha, but not VEGF. Venous angiomas did not express the studied growth factors and mainly consisted of structural proteins of angiogenically mature tissue. CONCLUSION: Expression characteristics of structural proteins reveal that AVMs and CMs have different immunohistological properties. This study provides strong confirmation of previous findings of VEGF and bFGF immunoexpression in AVMs and CMs. It adds new information on TGFalpha expression in these malformations and on expression of the angiogenic factors in venous angiomas.

Findings and outcome of revision lumbar disc surgery.

One hundred fourteen patients (64 men, 50 women) with prior lumbar disc surgery underwent a reexploration for intractable back and/or leg pain. The finding in revision surgery included disc herniation in 89 cases (78%), epidural fibrosis in 14 cases (12.2%), adhesive arachnoiditis in 4 cases (3.5%), isolated lateral spinal stenosis in 3 cases (2.6%), and iatrogenic instability in 4 cases (3.5%). Review of operative reports of patients who underwent a first operation in our institute revealed that seven cases (12.5%) had a second laminotomy without a discectomy in addition to the previous laminotomy and discectomy performed in the same session. Fifty-six of the patients with disc hemiation in revision surgery had a true recurrence. Disc hemiation was protruded in 38 cases (42.8%), extruded in 44 cases (49.4%), and sequestrated in 7 cases (7.8%). The outcome was assessed using Prolo's functional and economic scale. According to Prolo's scale, a good outcome was detected in 79 cases (69.2%), moderate in 22 (19.2%), and a poor outcome was detected in 13 cases (11.4%). The best outcome was achieved in patients with disc hemiation. It is concluded that recurrent disc disease is the most important cause of reexploration. This fact dictates a careful preoperative workup and discectomy in the first intervention. The likelihood of occurrence of disc herniation in the negative laminotomy level (i.e., laminotomy without discectomy procedure) also requires a careful preoperative radiologic workup before lumbar disc surgery.

Grading and hemodynamic follow-up study of arteriovenous malformations with transcranial Doppler ultrasonography.

This study presents and tests the clinical validity of a hemodynamic grading system that depends on noninvasive transcranial Doppler ultrasonographic parameters. The suggested transcranial Doppler-based grading system was compared with the Spetzler-Martin anatomic grading for prognosticative validity and clinical dependability. We concluded the following: (1) The pulsatility index was shown to be a more dependable transcranial Doppler parameter in the clinical evaluation of an arteriovenous malformation because of two reasons: preoperative pulsatility index findings inversely correlated with arteriovenous malformation volume, and the pulsatility index returned to normal values before the mean blood flow velocity did. Therefore, hemodynamic arteriovenous malformation grading can be based on the pulsatility index. (2) A transcranial Doppler-based hemodynamic arteriovenous malformation grading system correlated highly with the Spetzler-Martin grading in predicting postoperative neurologic deficits and adverse radiologic findings. (3) The presented grading system may contribute to the standardization and quantification of the hemodynamic changes during multidisciplinary management of arteriovenous malformations.

Cervical spondylotic myelopathy: surgical results and factors affecting prognosis.

OBJECTIVE: A variety of factors may affect surgical outcome in patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy. The aim of this study is to determine these factors on the basis of preoperative radiological and clinical data. METHODS: To assess the factors affecting postoperative outcome after surgery for cervical spondylotic myelopathy, the clinical and radiological data of 27 patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy were reviewed. Functional and neurological statuses were assessed using the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scale modified by Benzel. In all patients, the effect of age, symptom duration, cervical curvature, presence or absence of preoperative high signal intensity within the spinal cord as revealed by T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging, and diameters of the spinal canal and vertebral body on pre- and postoperative neurological statuses were investigated. Plain radiographs were obtained for all patients, magnetic resonance images for 21 patients (77.8%), computed tomographic scans for 13 patients (48.1%), myelograms for 6 patients (22.2%), and computed tomographic myelograms for 4 patients (14.8%). There were five patients with a JOA score of 10, six patients with a JOA score of 11, six patients with a JOA score of 12, four patients with a JOA score of 13, four patients with a JOA score of 14, one patient with a JOA score of 15, and one patient with a JOA score of 16. All patients underwent cervical laminectomies. The mean follow-up period was 54.1 months. The final neurological examinations revealed improvement in the JOA scores of 85.1 % of the patients. RESULTS: Statistical analysis of all patients revealed mean JOA scores of 12.185 +/- 1.618 and 14.370 +/- 2.15 before surgery and at final examination, respectively. The difference between the preoperative JOA score and the final JOA score was determined to be statistically significant (P < 0.0001). Statistical analyses also showed better neurological improvement in patients younger than 60 years and in patients with normal preoperative cervical lordosis. Although patients without preoperative high signal intensity of the spinal cord showed a better improvement rate than did patients with preoperative high signal intensity, the determined difference was statistically insignificant. CONCLUSION: It can be concluded that age and abnormal cervical curvature predict less postoperative neurological improvement. The presence of preoperative high signal intensity within the spinal cord may also reflect less neurological improvement.

Hemimegalencephaly and Hirschsprung's disease: a unique association.

A 2-year-old boy with hemimegalencephaly and Hirschsprung's disease is reported. The unique association of these two entities is considered to be the presence of a common insult or insults that affect the innervation of the bowel and the formation of the cerebral cortex. Short-segment subtype of Hirschsprung's disease may suggest that this effect occurred between the eighth and twelfth weeks of gestation. Although there is a well-known coexistence of Hirschsprung's disease with the malformations that share a common neurocristopathic origin (abnormalities of neural crest cell growth, migration, or differentiation), a few extremely rare cases, as in this case, might reflect the coexistence of Hirschsprung's disease with a cerebral malformation (i.e., hemimegalencephaly) that is a nonneurocristopathic entity by itself.

Intramedullary spinal cord tumors in children under the age of 3 years.

Over a 13-year period extending from 1980 to 1993, 27 children less than 3 years of age underwent operation for removal of an intramedullary spinal cord tumor (IMSCT). The majority (18 of 27) of children had undergone surgery before being referred to New York University (NYU) Medical Center. The most common reasons for radiological investigation were pain (42%), motor regression (36%), gait abnormalities (27%), torticollis (27%), and progressive kyphoscoliosis (24%). Forty procedures were performed in 27 children. Nine children underwent two operations and two children underwent three procedures. A gross-total resection was achieved in 72% of the procedures. There was no surgical mortality. A comparison of the preoperative and 3-month postoperative functional grades for the first NYU procedure (NYU-1) yielded the following findings: 20 patients' conditions remained the same, five patients improved, and two patients deteriorated. The functional outcomes of a second operation (NYU-2) were similar. The majority of the children (24 of 27, 89%) had histologically determined low-grade lesions. There were 12 patients with low-grade astrocytomas (Grades I-III), eight with gangliogliomas, two with ganglioglioneurocytomas, one with a glioneurofibroma, and one child with a mixed astro/oligodendroglioma. Two children had anaplastic astrocytomas (Grades II-III) and one child had a glioblastoma multiforme. In a median follow-up review of 76 months, two patients died and two patients were lost to follow up. The 3- and 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 81.7% (standard error of the mean (SEM) 0.083) and 76.2% (SEM 0.094), respectively. Eight of 24 patients suffered a recurrence within a mean time of 45.4 +/- 28.9 months. All were treated with surgery (NYU-2). Lesions recurred in three of 12 children with low-grade astrocytomas, two of eight children with gangliogliomas, one child with an anaplastic astrocytoma, one child with a ganglioglioneurocytoma, and one child with a glioblastoma multiforme. At follow-up review, most of these children were doing well. Sixteen are in functional Grades I or II and 18 children attend a normal school system. The authors conclude that surgery for the removal of IMSCTs in children less than 3 years of age can be performed radically and safely. The postoperative functional performance is determined by the degree of the preoperative deficit. It is, therefore, of utmost importance to diagnose and treat these children as early as possible. Spinal cord tumors should be recognized as potentially excisable lesions on their initial presentation and when they recur. The optimum treatment for malignant lesions is still to be determined.

A new, more dependable methodology for the use of transcranial Doppler ultrasonography in the management of subarachnoid haemorrhage.

The role of transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD) in clinical decision making about vasospasm due to subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH), shows a great variation according to neurosurgical clinics. In this prospective study, a total of 143 patients, admitted to Marmara University Department of Neurosurgery between January 1991 to March 1995 and treated surgically with the diagnosis of aneurysmal SAH, were examined by TCD. Eighty of these patients fulfilled the requirements for inclusion. In order to increase clinical dependability of TCD, a new grading system is proposed and tested in comparison with the one previously used, which takes absolute flow velocities as the main parameter in grading. The new, individually based TCD grading system is proposed to minimize the pitfalls caused by proximal stenosis, wide range of normal Vm values and proximally evolving vasospasm. We concluded that: 1) The new, individually based TCD grading system has a high degree of clinical dependability. 2) Daily TCD examinations supply reliable predictive information about developing delayed ischaemic deficit (DID). If a TCD Gr II patient shows an increase of 35 cm/sec (in 24 hours) in Vm value, his probability of developing DID was found to be 60% (p < 0.05); if a TCD Gr B III patient shows the same rate of increase in Vm, his probability of developing DID was 80% (< 0.05). 3) TCD has an important clinical role in decision making about the management of SAH patients. 4) Surgical manipulation causes a reversible increase of one or two TCD-grades in the early postoperative days.

Multiple pineal cysts associated with an ependymal cyst presenting with infantile spasm.

We present a unique case of infantile spasm in a patient with multiple pineal cysts associated with an ependymal cyst. Such a morphological etiology, to our knowledge, has not been described for patients with infantile spasm. Although postoperative neuroradiological studies demonstrated satisfactory surgical results, the patient continued to have seizures.

Intradural rupture of cervical vertebral disc.

STUDY DESIGN: The authors discuss their experience with a patient who had cervical intradural disc herniation and relate the case to the relevant literature. OBJECTIVES: The patient was evaluated with direct radiographies, myelography, electromyography, and computerized tomography, as well as with neurologic examination. The follow-up period was 10 months post-operative. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Intradural disc herniation is a rare pathology nearly always confined to the lumbar region. In 1989, Katooka et al reviewed the existing literature and discovered 70 cases. Cervical intradural disc herniation, on the other hand, is much rarer, and there are only five cases in the literature. METHODS: The patient's neurologic, neuroradiologic, and operative findings were evaluated and compared with the cases reported in the literature. CONCLUSIONS: The five patients in the literature had signs of cord compression, but the present patient is the first with root compression.

Complications of central nervous system hydatid disease.

Central nervous system hydatid cyst disease presents with different clinical pictures depending on the involvement of cerebral and spinal structures. The majority of cerebral echinococcosis cases are in the pediatric age group, mostly involving the white matter, and their treatment is mainly surgical. Complications of this entity depend on several factors including the location, size, and multiplicity of the cysts, as well as the presence of contamination. The most common complication is a rupture of the cyst into the subarachnoid space which leads to widespread dissemination followed by severe inflammatory or anaphylactic response. However, vertebral lesions are usually invasive and cause neurological symptoms due to compression. Almost all patients complain of radicular pain and motor deficits; and up to one half of patients present with paraparesis. This paper examines the natural history and complications which may arise during the treatment of cerebral and vertebral hydatid cysts, and discusses their clinical management.