Quality of life assessment in patients with neurocysticercosis

Objective of this study to investigate the impact of NCC upon the quality of life (QoL) compared to other chronic neurological diseases, epilepsy and headache. The study group consisted of 114 patients subdivided into four groups: NCC with epilepsy (n = 48), NCC without epilepsy (n = 17), epilepsy without NCC (n = 25) and chronic headache (n = 24). The QoL was evaluated by direct subjective quantification (scale of 0-10) and FACT-HN IV. NCC had impact on QoL, 53.8% patients dependent and needing help. The impact on QoL did not correlate with the classification of NCC, presence of cysts or calcifications and with CSF TP or number of WBCs. The presence of depression had a significant impact on the QoL of patients with NCC. Lack of seizure control tended to produce an adverse effect on the QoL in the group of NCC and epilepsy. NCC is not a benign disease; it has greater adverse effects on QoL of patients than epilepsy and headache, although without statistical significance. The presence of depression and uncontrolled seizures may have impact on QoL. Since asymptomatic patients were not evaluated, the results of this study are not applicable to all individuals with NCC.