Cysticercosis cerebri involving the lateral ventricle

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Parasitology
• Neurosurgery

Background:

• Cysticercosis cerebri, a parasitic infection of the brain by the larval form of Taenia solium, is a significant cause of neurological morbidity worldwide.
• Intraventricular cysticercosis, particularly involving the lateral ventricles, represents a rare but challenging clinical presentation.
• Diagnosis and management require a multidisciplinary approach involving neurologists, radiologists, and neurosurgeons.

Observation:

• Two cases of cysticercosis cerebri localized to the lateral ventricles are presented.
• The first case involved a patient with obstruction of the foramen of Monro due to the parasitic cyst.
• The second case revealed a larval form incidentally during autopsy following a basilar artery aneurysm rupture.

Findings:

• Surgical intervention, specifically addressing the foramen of Monro obstruction, led to a successful outcome in one patient.
• The second patient's cysticercosis was an incidental autopsy finding, highlighting the potential for asymptomatic or incidentally discovered intraventricular lesions.
• This underscores the varied clinical manifestations and diagnostic challenges of intraventricular neurocysticercosis.

Implications:

• Early diagnosis and surgical management can be curative for symptomatic intraventricular cysticercosis causing obstructive hydrocephalus.
• The incidental finding in the second case emphasizes the importance of considering cysticercosis in the differential diagnosis of intraventricular lesions, even in the absence of typical symptoms.
• Further research into the pathogenesis and optimal treatment strategies for rare localizations of cysticercosis cerebri is warranted.