Neurocysticercosis and acquired cerebral toxoplasmosis in children

Neurocysticercosis, prevalent wherever pigs are raised in the presence of poor sanitation, is the most common identifiable cause of new-onset epilepsy throughout the developing world. As immigration patterns have changed, children with neurocysticercosis are seen throughout the United States. Acute cysticercosis, the most common manifestation in children, reflects the host response to the dying parasite. Children typically present with seizures and have an excellent prognosis. Neuroimaging demonstrates a single ring or nodular enhancing lesion surrounded by edema. Short-term anticonvulsant therapy is indicated, but treatment with antiparasitic agents is not required. Other forms, such as active cysts (intact organism), intraventricular or subarachnoid racemous cysticercosis, and cysticercal meningoencephalitis, are less common manifestations of parasitic infection. Toxoplasmosis, caused by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii, can be acquired by ingestion of infected undercooked meat or from oocytes shed in cat feces. Acquired cerebral toxoplasmosis, due to primary or reactivated infections, rarely occurs in immunocompetent children. In children who are immunodeficient as the result of AIDS, chemotherapy, tissue transplantation, or congenital immunodeficiency, toxoplasmosis may be difficult to distinguish from cerebral lymphoma. A variety of techniques, including neuroimaging, Thallium-201 SPECT, polymerase chain reaction analysis of CSF, and special histological methods, may be used to diagnose acquired toxoplasmosis. Antiparasitic therapy, using pyrimethamine and sulfadiazine, and serial neuroimaging often enable clinicians to differentiate toxoplasmosis from other central nervous system lesions. Toxoplasmosis may respond to other antimicrobials, including macrolide antibiotics, dapsone, clinidamycin, and atovaquone. Suppressive treatment is generally required for life in immunodeficient patients. Immunodeficient children with acquired toxoplasmosis have high rates of mortality and neurological sequelae.     

Neurocysticercosis in children Clinical experience in 122 patients

Cysticercosis is the most frequent parasitic disease of the central nervous system in the world and is endemic in such developing countries as Mexico. There is insufficient information about neurocysticercosis in children. The purpose of this study was to collect information on the main social factors associated with neurocysticercosis, the clinical picture, diagnosis and treatment, and the final outcome in 122 Mexican children. The ages of the patients ranged from 14 months to 17 years, with a mean of 8 years; 51 male (41.8%) and 71 female (51.8%) patients were seen; half of these patients (61) lived in well-urbanized areas; the parents of 77 families (57.3%) had only an elementary school grade average, and 46 (37.7%) lived in close proximity to animals. The most common features were seizures, intracranial hypertension and learning disabilities. The diagnosis of neurocysticercosis was supported by computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging studies and cerebrospinal fluid analysis. The treatment was varied, with anticonvulsives, steroids, and albendazole, and only 8 patients underwent ventriculo-peritoneal shunts for hydrocephalus. The follow-up ranged from 6 months to 5 years; 90 patients became asymptomatic; 6 developed refractory epilepsy; 14, learning disabilities; and 10, a chronic type of the disease with repeated episodes of intracranial hypertension; 2 died because of chronic arachnoiditis.     

Neurocysticercosis

Neurocysticercosis is an infection of the central nervous system by the larvae of the pork tapeworm Taenia sodium. Worldwide it represents the commonest parasitic infection of the central nervous system. However, in Australia, only a small number of cases have been previously recognized. Three cases of neurocysticercosis are reported which illustrate a variety of presentations and diagnostic problems encountered. With the introduction of effective chemotherapeutic agents, current medical and surgical management is reviewed.     

Neurocysticercosis

Neurocysticercosis is the most common helminthic disease of the nervous system and currently represents a major public health problem in developing countries of Latin America, Asia, and Africa, as well as in industrialized nations with a high immigration rate of people from endemic areas. The disease occurs when humans become the intermediate host in the life cycle of Taenia solium by ingesting its eggs from contaminated food. Neurocysticercosis is pleomorphic in its presentation due to individual differences in the number, size, and location of the parasites, as well as differences in the severity of the host's immune reaction to the parasite. Epilepsy, focal neurological signs, and intracranial hypertension are the most common clinical manifestations of the disease. The diagnosis of neurocysticercosis is based on clinical data, neuroimaging abnormalities, and the results of immunological tests. Two drugs, albendazole and praziquantel, are cysticidal and destroy most intracranial parasites; however, surgery may be necessary in the management of some forms of the disease, particularly hydrocephalus and intraventricular cysts. Although the development of modern diagnostic tests and the introduction of potent cestocidal drugs have increased our ability to make the diagnosis of neurocysticercosis and improved prognosis, some patients still have a torpid clinical course despite prompt diagnosis and proper therapy.     

Neurocysticercosis in pregnancy

Neurocysticercosis is a common cause of adult onset epilepsy. Neurocysticercosis in pregnancy can present with convulsions and may be difficult to differentiate from a pregnancy related disorder. We present a case of neurocysticercosis diagnosed by magnetic resonance imaging.     

Neurocysticercosis and immigration

Formerly an endemic disorder, the frequency of neurocysticercosis (NCC) in Spain has been declining during recent decades until reaching its near extinction. However, the strong migratory flow during recent years towards large cities from countries where NCC is highly prevalent, particularly the Andean area of South America, has been followed by a growing increase ot this infestation among immigrants. Since NCC is commonly acquired by direct contamination from carriers of the tapeworm Taenia solium, there may be an emergence of NCC among Spanish-born population unless preventive measures are taken.     

脑囊虫病治疗方法探讨

目的研究各种不同类型脑囊虫病的最佳个体化治疗方案。方法回顾性分析作者医院2002-01—2008—12收治的脑囊虫病确诊病例共42例,其中脑实质型32例、脑室型8例、蛛网膜下型2例。根据脑囊虫病分型选择驱虫、脱水、糖皮质激素抗炎、手术切除囊虫或脑室引流等不同的治疗方法,观察疗效并探讨各种类型脑囊虫病的最佳治疗方案。结果所有患者均取得较好疗效。治疗过程中曾出现颅高压或颅高压加重11例,经过将脱水药加量或改变治疗方案后其症状均获缓解。结论对脑囊虫病必须根据患者的具体情况采取不同的个体化治疗方法。     

Neurocysticercosis in central Saudi Arabia

Neurocysticercosis is a disease endemic in pork breeding societies. It exhibits itself by the sudden development of seizures in an apparently healthy individual, a rather nonspecific symptom. In its own cultural circles, diagnosis is easy because of the higher incidence and prevalence of the ailment. However in cultures whose religion excludes the breeding of pork, such as Islamic countries, diagnosis depends on an often forgotten spiritual history, which we believe may have a place as the fourth epidemiologic criterion in the revised diagnostic criteria for neurocysticercosis.     

神经系统囊虫病的临床特点

目的 通过总结分析经临床确诊的307例患脑囊虫病患者的病历资料,探讨神经系统囊虫病的临床特点,并提出新的临床分型建议.方法 分析、研究脑囊虫病患者的性别、年龄、感染史、临床表现、血清或脑脊液囊虫免疫学检查及CT或MRI影像学改变.结果 本组神经系统囊虫病患者男性188例、女性119例,平均年龄40.26岁.有排绦虫史者78例.最常见的临床症状是癫痫,头痛头晕次之.其它症状则表现为单纯头晕、感觉异常、脑膜刺激征、意识障碍、偏瘫、失语、痴呆和截瘫.血清间凝实验检查者阳性率为68.50%.血清酶联免疫吸附试验者阳性率为80.90%.CT影像改变主要有脑积水、脑膜肥厚、脑内多发大小不等囊状低密度影、多灶性钙化、环状强化等.CT征象可单独出现或同时有两种及两种以上征象并存.MRI征象有脑积水、脑内多发和单发病灶.根据其临床症状、体征、影像学检查临床分型主要为癫痫型、头痛头晕型、偏瘫型、脑积水型、高颅压型、脑膜炎、颅内占位型、脊髓型.结论 本组神经系统囊虫病患者多为青壮年.临床类型中以癫痫型最多见,除传统分型外,我们认为应当补充头痛头晕型和偏瘫占位型.辅助检查中,CT与MRI影像学上的变化具有诊断意义,二者不能相互替代.酶联免疫吸附试验检出的阳性率高于间凝实验检出的阳性率.     

Neurocysticercosis presenting as stroke

Stroke is a common but under recognized complication of neurocysticercosis (NCC). We report six patients having NCC who presented with stroke. All patients were young with no vascular risk factors. The arteritis which resulted in ischaemic infarct in these patients was related to the presence and severity of arachnoiditis. All patients responded well to steroids and albendazole therapy with minimal residual deficit.     

Neurocysticercosis and epilepsy in developing countries

Neurocysticercosis is a disease of poverty and underdevelopment. Little is known about the natural history of the infection in humans, but some of the mechanisms whereby the parasite remains silent and evades the host immune response are understood. Symptomatic neurocysticercosis usually results from host inflammatory response after parasite death, and the clinical manifestations can be diverse. There is no evidence that cysticidal treatment does more good than harm in addition to conventional antiepileptic treatment. Population control measures involving immunisation or mass treatment have not shown long term effectiveness.Epilepsy, similarly to neurocysticercosis, is a largely unrecognised but increasing burden on the welfare and economies of developing countries. The technology of drug treatment and psychosocial rehabilitation is well known but requires widespread and effective dissemination at low cost. There is little epidemiological data on risk factors for epilepsy in developing countries on which to base prevention strategies. The public health prioritisation of chronic disorders such as epilepsy remains a challenge for policy and practice in developing countries. For both neurocysticercosis and epilepsy, there is a dilemma about whether limited public resources would better be spent on general economic development, which would be expected to have a broad impact on the health and welfare of communities, or on specific programmes to help individual affected people with neurocysticercosis and epilepsy. Either approach requires detailed economic evaluation.     

Neurocysticercosis and pure motor hemiparesis

A 49-year-old man with meningeal cysticercosis presented with a pure motor hemiparesis. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging showed a capsular infarction and a suprasellar cyst with surrounding arachnoiditis. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis confirmed the diagnosis as it showed positive immunologic reactions to cysticerci. This is the first reported case of pure motor hemiparesis due to a parasitic disease of the central nervous system.