Question

A 24-year old Latin American woman was in good health until she experienced a seizure at home. She was brought to the emergency room and a CT scan was ordered. Multiple cranial lesions were revealed.

A. Identify by scientific name the parasite causing these lesions and name the condition.

B. Based on the epidemiology of the life cycle, how did she become infected with this parasite?

C. How is this infection differ from intestinal infection?

D. What in the patient's history predisposes her to this infection?

Answer 1

A. The name of the condition is neurocysticercosis and the parasite causing this disease is called Taenia solium which is a tapeworm found in pigs. Taenia solium is pork tapeworm and Taenia saginata is beef tapeworm.

Neurocysticercosis is a disease caused by infection with the larval forms of the parasite Taenia solium which is a type of tapeworm found in pigs. There is development of cystic lesions in the brain due to the larvae of Taenia solium which can manifest most commonly as seizures or as headache, blindness or meningitis due to the infection and inflammation of the brain.

B. The infection with Taenia solium spreads through the feco-oral route. An individual infected with Taenia solium discharges the eggs of the parasite which enters another individual's body through contaminated food and water and infects the intestine of the initially healthy individual. This intestinal infection with adult forms of Taenia is called Taeniasis. When this intestinal infection complicates and spreads to the other tissues like skin and muscles through blood route, it is called cysticercosis. When the cysts are formed in the brain or spinal cord, the infection with larval forms of Taenia solium is called neurocysticercosis.

C. Intestinal infection develops due to the ingestion of contaminated food and water with the eggs of Taenia. This is called Taeniasis. Symptoms of diarrhoea, weight loss and abdominal pain are common in Taeniasis. When the intestinal infection spreads to the other tissues through blood route, it is called cysticercosis. When the nervous system is involved as a result of complication of Taenia infection and cysts are formed inside the brain or spinal cord, the individual develops symptoms like seizures, it is called neurocysticercosis. Neurocysticercosis is due to the larval forms of the parasite Taenia solium.

D. Patient is a 24 years old Latin woman which points in the direction of the diagnosis of neurocysticercosis as she suddenly developed seizures and neurocysticercosis is common in the regions of Latin America. It is also common in the regions of Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Thus, the history of Latin America and sudden development of seizures and cystic lesions in the brain on CT scan points towards the diagnosis of neurocysticercosis.