pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Taenia solium cysticercosis - PubMed

️Wed Jan 01 2003

Review

Taenia solium cysticercosis

Héctor H García et al. Lancet. 2003.

Abstract

The larval stage of the pork tapeworm (Taenia solium) infects the human nervous system, causing neurocysticercosis. This disease is one of the main causes of epileptic seizures in many less developed countries and is also increasingly seen in more developed countries because of immigration from endemic areas. Little information is available on the natural evolution of taeniasis or cysticercosis. Available therapeutic measures include steroids, treatments for symptoms, surgery, and, more controversially, antiparasitic drugs to kill brain parasites. Efforts to control and eliminate this disease are underway through antiparasitic treatment of endemic populations, development of pig vaccines, and other measures.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

**Figure 1**
Life cycle of *Taenia solium*

**Figure 2. Scolex (A) and strobila (B) of adult tapeworm**
The morphology of the proglottids changes as they mature and become gravid.

**Figure 3. Cysticerci**
(A): as seen in infected pork. (B): excised into a Petri dish. The white dot in each cyst corresponds to the scolex.

**Figure 4. Cysticercosis outside the nervous system**
(A): ocular cyst floating in the vitreous humour. (B): calcified cysts on CT (three-dimensional filtered reconstruction). (C) and (D): massive infection causing muscular pseudohypertrophia; thousands of cysts following the muscle planes can be seen.

**Figure 5. Macroscopic pathology**
A: viable cyst. B: racemose cysticercosis in the base of the brain.

**Figure 6. Neuroimaging**
MRI of viable (A) and degenerating (B) cysts, and CT of calcified cysticerci (C).

Comment in

Health promotion approach for control of Taenia solium infection in Nepal.
Jimba M, Joshi DD, Joshi AB, Wakai S. Jimba M, et al. Lancet. 2003 Oct 25;362(9393):1420. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(03)14658-2. Lancet. 2003. PMID: 14585658 No abstract available.

Cited by

Neurocysticercosis among patients with first time seizure in Northern Namibia.
Segamwenge IL, Kioko NP, Mukulu C, Jacob O, Humphrey W, Augustinus J. Segamwenge IL, et al. Pan Afr Med J. 2016 Jun 9;24:127. doi: 10.11604/pamj.2016.24.127.8908. eCollection 2016. Pan Afr Med J. 2016. PMID: 27642465 Free PMC article.
Taenia solium DNA is present in the cerebrospinal fluid of neurocysticercosis patients and can be used for diagnosis.
Almeida CR, Ojopi EP, Nunes CM, Machado LR, Takayanagui OM, Livramento JA, Abraham R, Gattaz WF, Vaz AJ, Dias-Neto E. Almeida CR, et al. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2006 Aug;256(5):307-10. doi: 10.1007/s00406-006-0612-3. Epub 2006 Jul 10. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2006. PMID: 16816897
The role of conventional MR imaging sequences in the evaluation of neurocysticercosis: impact on characterization of the scolex and lesion burden.
Lucato LT, Guedes MS, Sato JR, Bacheschi LA, Machado LR, Leite CC. Lucato LT, et al. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2007 Sep;28(8):1501-4. doi: 10.3174/ajnr.A0623. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2007. PMID: 17846200 Free PMC article.
Case 1: First seizure in a new immigrant.
Brophy J, Keystone J. Brophy J, et al. Paediatr Child Health. 2006 Jul;11(6):345-7. Paediatr Child Health. 2006. PMID: 19030301 Free PMC article. No abstract available.
Repeated Peritoneal Catheter Blockage Caused by Neurocysticercosis Following Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt Placement for Hydrocephalus.
Li ZH, Wang ZQ, Cui J, Guo FY. Li ZH, et al. J Neurosci Rural Pract. 2018 Apr-Jun;9(2):268-271. doi: 10.4103/jnrp.jnrp_462_17. J Neurosci Rural Pract. 2018. PMID: 29725182 Free PMC article.

References

1. Garcia HH, Del Brutto OH. Taenia solium cysticercosis. Infect Dis Clin North Am. 2000;14:97–119. - PubMed
1. White AC., Jr. Neurocysticercosis: updates on epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management. Annu Rev Med. 2000;51:187–206. - PubMed
1. Commission on Tropical Diseases of the International League Against Epilepsy Relationship between epilepsy and tropical diseases. Epilepsia. 1994;35:89–93. - PubMed
1. Schantz PM, Wilkins PP, Tsang VCW. Immigrants, imaging and immunoblots: the emergence of neurocysticercosis as a significant public health problem. In: Scheld WM, Craig WA, Hughes JM, editors. Emerging infections 2. ASM Press; Washington: 1998. pp. 213–41.
1. Henneberg R. Die tierischen parasiten des zentralnervensystem. In: Lewandowsky M, editor. Handbuch der neurologie. Springer; Berlin: 1912. pp. 642–83.

Taenia solium cysticercosis - PubMed