Administration of praziquantel in neurocysticercosis

Report of the observations of 40 patients suffering from neurocysticercosis, submitted to treatment by praziquantel, administered per os. Dexamethasone was associated to praziquantel in 20 patients. Side effects observed had a transient character. Transient exacerbation or reappearance of the cerebrospinal fluid neurocysticercosis syndrome, both related to the periods of treatment, can be considered an indirect rating of praziquantel action on cysticerci. This episode was observed in 31 patients. Dexamethasone proved sufficient to reduce the intensity of these episodes and of the effects. Evaluation of the 20 patients suffering from forms of the disease characterized by intracranial hypertension, and who had a follow-up of more than 3 months (up to 19 months) showed: disappearance of corticoid-dependence (5/5); disappearance of ventricular dilatation (4/6) appearance or increase inthe number of nodular calcifications (3/6); non-occurrence of new outbreaks of intracranial hypertension in 15 of the 20 cases. Repetitive characteristics of the clinical symptomatology, call for a longer-period observation of patients to allow for conclusion as to the effectiveness of the drug in the treatment of neurocysticercosis.