Multiple hydatid cysts of the neck, the nasopharynx and the skull base revealing cervical vertebral hydatid disease.

Hydatid disease is caused by the parasitic tapeworm Echinococcus. This parasite in larval stage can thrive in many parts of the body, most commonly in the liver and the lung. Hydatid disease in the head and neck is uncommon and hydatid cyst presents rarely as a cervical mass.