Headache in patients with calcified neurocysticercosis (NCC) is probably common but has been largely overlooked. We aimed to assess the presence, characteristics, and diagnosis of headache across patients with calcified NCC and their matched controls. In this case-control study nested to a population-based cohort, Atahualpa residents aged ≥ 20 years with calcified NCC were identified as case patients and paired 1:1 to age- and gender-matched randomly selected controls. A culturally adapted questionnaire was derived from the EUROLIGHT. Headache diagnosis was established according to the International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3rd edition. Conditional logistic regression models for matched paired data were fitted to assess the independent association between calcified NCC (as the exposure) and headache variables, after adjusting for education, alcohol intake, depression, and epilepsy. The selection process generated 106 case patients and their matched controls. Lifetime headache prevalence (odds ratio [OR]: 4.18; 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 1.79-9.75; = 0.001), current headaches (OR: 4.19; 95% CI: 1.92-9.16; < 0.001), and intense headaches (OR: 9.47; 95% CI: 2.88-31.19; < 0.001) were more frequent among cases than in controls. In addition, migraine (but not other forms of headache) was more frequent among subjects with calcified NCC (OR: 4.89; 95% CI: 2.36-11.39; < 0.001). This study shows a robust epidemiological association between headache-particularly migraine-and calcified NCC.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.18-0310 | DOI Listing |
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Article Synopsis
- - Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is a brain infection caused by ingesting Taenia solium eggs, common in developing countries, and can lead to severe neurological issues.
- - The report details a 44-year-old woman's case where she displayed stroke symptoms and a history of headaches and epilepsy; brain scans showed signs of NCC.
- - Effective treatment with dexamethasone, albendazole, and carbamazepine led to a positive outcome, highlighting the importance of neuroimaging for early diagnosis and management of NCC.
Calcified Neurocysticercosis: Demographic, Clinical, and Radiological Characteristics of a Large Hospital-Based Patient Cohort.
Pathogens
December 2023
Center for Global Health, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima 15202, Peru.
Article Synopsis
- Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is a significant cause of epilepsy globally, particularly in areas where it's endemic, with calcification being the most common finding in affected patients' neuroimaging.
- A study involving 524 patients in Peru from 2012 to 2022 found that a majority had previous seizures, with specific patterns in seizure types and locations of calcifications predominantly in the frontal lobes.
- Patients with a prior diagnosis of viable infection tended to have more severe symptoms, including longer seizure duration and a higher number of calcifications, compared to those diagnosed only after the parasites had calcified.
Magnetic resonance imaging-derived relative cerebral blood volume characteristics in a case of pathologically confirmed neurocysticercosis: illustrative case.
J Neurosurg Case Lessons
December 2023
Departments of2Neurosurgery.
Background: Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is a parasitic infection of the brain caused by ingesting water or food contaminated with tapeworm eggs. When it presents as a solitary mass, differentiation from a primary brain tumor on imaging can be difficult. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-derived relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV) is a newer imaging technique used to identify areas of neovascularization in tumors, which may advance the differential diagnosis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIncident Breakthrough Seizures, Serum Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 and Perfusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging Parameters in a Cohort of Children and Adolescents With Neurocysticercosis: A Longitudinal Observational Study.
Pediatr Neurol
February 2024
Child Neurology Division, Department of Pediatrics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, New Delhi, India.
Background: The current study estimated incident breakthrough seizures, serum matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), and perfusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) parameters in five- to 18-year-olds with neurocysticercosis (NCC) from colloidal or vesicular through calcified stages over at least 24 months' follow-up.
Methods: Single, colloidal, or vesicular parenchymal NCC cases were treated with albendazole and steroids and followed at a tertiary care north Indian hospital. Serum MMP-9 was estimated in colloidal or vesicular treatment-naive state and in a subset of calcified cases at six-month follow-up.
Key Clinical Message: In patients with appropriate epidemiological risk factors, neurocysticecosis should be considered as part of the differential diagnosis of suprasellar or parasellar mass lesions. As neuroimaging findings can be nonspecific, serology may be helpful, but when still in doubt, brain biopsy, and histopathology may be necessary to make the correct diagnosis.
Abstract: Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is a well-documented central nervous system helminth infection that is, frequently observed in developing countries.
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