[Therapeutic approach to neurocysticercosis]

Neurocysticercosis is a clinical form of parasitic infection caused by Taenia solium. Therapy is recommended only for the symptomatic form of illness and whether to apply conservative and/or surgical treatment, depends on the localization of the infection in the nerve tissue, the number of cysts and symptoms of the infection. Conservative therapy (drug therapy and supportive therapy) is the therapy of choice for majority of patients, while Albendazole has proved better than Praziquantel in many clinical trials. The recommended dose of Albendazole is 10-15 mg/kg/24h during 8-28 days, whereas for Praziquantel it is 50 mg/kg/24h in three divided doses during 15 days. It is considered that combined therapy of Albendazole and Dexamethasone has better effects because of increased serum concentration of Albendazole metabolites. Implantation of intraventricular shunt and/or removal of cysts are surgical procedures in management of neurocysticercosis. Combined conservative and surgical treatment is most often applied in extraparenchymal forms and those parenchymal forms of neurocysticercosis in which symptoms persist despite antihelmintic therapy, while cysts are accessible for surgical treatment.