[A clinical research for eosinophilic meningoencephalitis caused by angiostrongyliasis].

Objective: To improve the awareness of angiostrongyliasis.

Methods: The clinical and laboratory data as well as the epidemiological informations of 18 patients with eosinophilic meningoencephalitis caused by Angiostrongylus cantonensis were analyzed.

Results: All the patients had a history of eating raw fresh water snail (Ampularium canaliculatus) before the onset of the disease. Incubation period ranged from 1 to 25 days. The major symptoms of the patients were severe headache and pain in the trunk and limbs. Peripheral blood eosinophilia was noted together with increased eosinophilic count in cerebrospinal fluid. With ELISA sera from patients were specifically IgG-antibody positive against Angiostrongylus cantonensis antigen, but were negative against other parasitic antigens such as Paragonimus westermani, Cysticercus, Cellulosae hominis, Echinococcus granulosus and Trichinella spiralis. Abnormal spot signal was found in 2 cases with brain magnetic resonance imaging. Electroencephalogram showed slow alpha rhythm. All the patients were effectively treated with good combined administration of albendazole and dexamethasone.

Conclusion: Angiostrongyliasis is one of the common causes leading to eosinophilic meningoencephalitis. To our knowledge, Wenzhou is the first small outbreak site discovered of angiostrongyliasis in mainland China.