Cerebral cysticercosis. A disease to suspect in recent travelers or immigrants

The initial assessment of the young adult patient with multiple intracerebral lesions is challenging. The etiologic factors must be categorized as neoplastic, infectious, inflammatory, vascular, and hematologic, among others. Unfortunately, these lesions are not easily accessible for sampling, and all other diagnostic methods must first be exhausted. This case report describes a patient who was brought to an emergency department in New Jersey after her first seizure. The diagnosis was cerebral cysticercosis, an intracerebral parasitic infection that is extremely rare in this area but very common in other areas of the world. As more and more people immigrate to the United States, researchers believe that cerebral cysticercosis will become more common. It is imperative, therefore, for primary care physicians to understand this disease and to consider it in the appropriate setting.