[Neurocysticercosis in a hospital of the city of Buenos Aires: study of 11 cases]

Arq Neuropsiquiatr. 1993 Sep;51(3):333-6. doi: 10.1590/s0004-282x1993000300007.
[Article in Spanish]

Abstract

Eleven patients with diagnosis of possible neurocistycercosis were studied in our Department since 1986. All of them were adults. Eight were Bolivian citizens. The commonest neurological clinical manifestation were seizures and/or headache. Brain CT scans showed cystic lesions and calcifications in 5 patients, only calcifications in 3, enlarged ventricles in 2 and an isolated frontal cystic lesion in 1. Six out of 7 patients who were submitted to spinal fluid ELISA test showed positive response for cysticercosis. Patients were put on praziquantel (50 mg/Kg/d) or albendazol (15 mg/Kg/d) with good outcome for all them. Surgery was carried on for treatment of enlarged ventricles (2 patients) and for a like-expansive lesion (1 patient). The aim of this work is to underscore the fact that in Buenos Aires city, which previously was not within the endemic latin american area for cysticercosis, is now possible to find patients with the neurological manifestations of this parasitosis, most probably due to migration of people coming from the north provinces or from countries situated at its border where the disease is endemic.

Publication types

  • English Abstract

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Argentina
  • Central Nervous System Diseases / cerebrospinal fluid
  • Central Nervous System Diseases / diagnosis*
  • Central Nervous System Diseases / drug therapy
  • Cysticercosis / cerebrospinal fluid
  • Cysticercosis / diagnosis*
  • Cysticercosis / drug therapy
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed