Intracerebral hydatid cyst: A rare cause of neurosurgical emergency

Introduction: Hydatid cyst disease in childhood is still a serious health problem in the rural areas of Morocco and other places where the parasite is endemic. Brain involvement rate is about 2% of the cases and is most commonly observed in children. Case Report: We report the case of a five-year-old boy who presented with general weakness and vomiting before rapid deterioration of consciousness, requiring an urgent operation as there were signs of midbrain herniation with a cystic lesion in the left frontoparietal region at the Computed tomography scan. The patient was discharged after one week with optimal neurological status. Although cases of cerebral hydatid disease are quite common in literature, the urgent character of our case is rarely reported and will be discussed in the light of previous cases as well as cerebral hydatid disease management. Conclusion: In case of emergencies, such as midbrain herniation with cystic lesions identified by CT scan, the possibility of hydatid cysts should be considered where the infection is endemic and the team should be prepared to remove the cyst without rupture.