Cerebral Cysticercosis Presenting With Recurrent Epileptic Seizures

Abstract

Cerebral cysticercosis is the most common parasitic disease of the human nervous system. It is endemic to some tropical countries but has rarely been described in Vietnam. We report three cases of neurocysticercosis in patients from northwest Vietnam presenting with recurrent epileptic seizures. Hypereosinophilia and positive immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies to cysticercosis were detected in two patients and three patients, respectively. The brain MRI showed multiple ring-enhancing cerebral lesions with a well-defined border. Scolexes were demonstrated on fluid attenuation inversion recovery (FLAIR) sequence as small images associated with a hyperintense cyst wall. Treatment of cerebral cysticercosis infection with albendazole 15 mg/kg/day x 21 days along with antiepileptic drug therapy usually results in a favorable outcome. These results highlight that cerebral cysticercosis should be suspected in patients from an endemic area who present with headaches and/or epileptic seizures.

Cerebral cysticercosis mimicking subarachnoid hemorrhage: a case report

“…Other symptoms mainly were movement disorder, nausea, and vomiting. Most patients presented with epileptic seizures [ 18 , 19 ], but our case did not. A review showed that over 50% of patients with subarachnoid cerebral cysticercosis have imaging evidence of vasculitis [ 20 ].…”