To intervene or not to intervene: A case of symptomatic neurocysticercosis complicated by ventriculitis

Syed H Haq; Sidra R Shah; Jannet Bux; Anh Si Le; Hafez Golzarian; Daniel Mueller; Joseph J Sreenan; Sandeep M Patel; Amanda Laird; William Cole

doi:10.1016/j.idcr.2023.e01702

To intervene or not to intervene: A case of symptomatic neurocysticercosis complicated by ventriculitis

IDCases. 2023 Jan 20:31:e01702. doi: 10.1016/j.idcr.2023.e01702. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Internal Medicine, BonSecour Mercy Health-St. Rita's Medical Center, Lima, OH, USA.
² Department of Pathology Medicine, BonSecour Mercy Health-St. Rita's Medical Center, Lima, OH, USA.
³ Department of Interventional Cardiology, BonSecour Mercy Health-St. Rita's Medical Center, Lima, OH, USA.
⁴ Department of Critical Care Medicine, BonSecour Mercy Health-St. Rita's Medical Center, Lima, OH, USA.

Abstract

Although well described in the current literature, Neurocysticercosis [NCC] remains an enigma when confronted by practitioners. This is in part due to the haphazard nature of the parasitic infection on the central nervous system [CNS]. These include single or multiple anatomic sites of infection, stage of parasitosis, and the resultant inflammatory response. As a result, NCC can present with a complex constellation of symptomatic presentations, making therapeutic regiments highly individualized. Despite intervention, other impediments may arise post-therapy due to the nature of the infection. We present a case of rapidly progressive symptomatic NCC that initially was successfully treated, however would eventually succumb to complications of ventriculitis.

Keywords: CNS, Central Nervous System; CSF, Cerebral Spinal Fluid; CT, Computed Tomography; CTA, Computed Tomography Angiography; Cyst; ICP, Intracranial Pressures; MRI, Magnetic Resonance Imaging; NCC, Neurocysticercosis; Neurocysticercosis; Parasitic disease; Ring-enhancing lesions; Taenia solium; Ventriculitis.

Publication types

Case Reports