title: Imaging features of cerebral and spinal cystic echinococcosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The main objective of this study was to describe the characteristic imaging features of cerebral and spinal hydatid disease (HD) in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) in order to provide more effective differential diagnoses in endemic regions. We also aimed to use MRI and CT to evaluate whether the World Health Organization's (WHO) new classification of hepatic cystic echinococcosis (CE) could be used in the classification of cerebral HD.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed the CT and MR images of 30 patients who were diagnosed with cerebral and spinal HD between 1990 and 2014. The imaging findings were noted. All hydatid cysts were classified according to the WHO classification of hepatic CE, consisting of six types.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study group consisted of 49 CEs in 27 patients with cerebral HD and 12 CEs in three patients with spinal HD. Of the cysts, 14 were type CL (cystic lesion), 29 were type CE1, 11 were type CE2 and seven were type CE3. In other words, 54 cysts were in the active group and seven were in the transition group. Most of the cysts were type CL and CE1.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Even though characteristic imaging features could be used in the differential diagnosis of HD, sometimes the differentiation of HD from other cystic lesions may be difficult. The use of WHO classification will provide standardisation of uniform treatment modality, as the treatment of HD, according to the stage of the disease, may be surgical or medical.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Medical School, Dicle University, Yenişehir, Diyarbakir, 21280, Turkey, memikteke@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Memik
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Teke
authors.forename: Cüneyt
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Göçmez
authors.forename: Cihad
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hamidi
authors.forename: Ercan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gündüz
authors.forename: Cemil
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Göya
authors.forename: Mehmet Guli
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Çetinçakmak
authors.forename: Salih
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hattapoğlu
authors.forename: Mehmet Sedat
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Durmaz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D002648:Child; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004443:Echinococcosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*