ACUTE CEREBRAL-ISCHEMIA AFTER CEREBRAL HY DATID EMBOLISM - 2 CASES

Hydatid cysts of the brain are very rare. Exceptionally, signs and sym ptoms are primarily those of acute cerebral ischaemia. Two cases of ac ute cerebral ischaemia are reported in a 21 year old and 40 year old w omen. A computed tomographic scan revealed a middle cerebral artery (M CA) infarct and an abrupt cutoff of the MCA at cerebral angiography. A few months later. a CT scan showed cysts in the territory of the infa rct. Hydatid cysts were also found in multiple viscera, particularly i n the heart. These two observations and some cases reported in the lit erature suggested that the myocardial cyst may have ruptured into the ventricular cavity, resulting in widespread intravascular disseminatio n of embryo and causing an acute cerebral infarction. The interest of these cases lies in the rarity of an acute cerebral ischaemia due to h ydatid cyst embolism, and in the early diagnosis of cardiac cysts in y oung patients.