Twenty-six years of involvement with cystic echinococcosis: a case report.

Spinal hydatidosis is a rare disease, but it is associated with a high degree of morbidity, mortality, and poor prognosis. Because of the infiltrative nature of hydatid disease, surgery alone is rarely curative. The current case study demonstrates the importance of a suitable surgical approach, adequate intraoperative prophylaxis to prevent cyst rupture, and prolonged complete paraplegia.