[Imaging findings in neurocysticercosis]

Abstract

Neurocysticercosis, caused by the larvae of Taenia solium, is the parasitic infection that most commonly involves the central nervous system in humans. Neurocysticercosis is endemic in practically all developing countries, and owing to globalization and immigration it is becoming more common in developed countries like those in western Europe. The most common clinical manifestations are epilepsy, focal neurologic signs, and intracranial hypertension. The imaging findings depend on the larval stage of Taenia solium, on the number and location of the parasites (parenchymal, subarachnoid, or intraventricular), as well as on the host's immune response (edema, gliosis, arachnoiditis) and on the development of secondary lesions (arteritis, infarcts, or hydrocephalus). The diagnosis of this parasitosis must be established on the basis of the clinical and radiological findings, especially in the appropriate epidemiological context, with the help of serological tests.