NEUROCYSTICERCOSIS - A REVIEW WITH TWO CASE REPORTS

Neurocysticercosis is an endemic disease in India. It is the most common helminthic infection of the CNS and the most common cause of adult onset seizures worldwide. Rightly designated among 'neglected infections of poverty' by the CDC, this devastating disease has few case-control studies for management, less practical diagnostic criteria and lesser clear treatment guidelines. In this article we present 2 unusual presentations of neurocysticercosis. The first is a case of parenchymal neurocysticercosis with all stages simultaneously found in a single patient. The second is the rare subarachnoid variety with fatal outcome. We also review the pathogenesis, types and stages with radiologic-pathologic correlation, dilemmas in diagnosis and treatment and current trends in management of neurocysticercosis.