All issues > Volume 34(6); 1991

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1991;34(6):877-889. Published online June 30, 1991.

Observation on neurocysticercosis in childhood.

Hae Jung Park¹, Seong Hee Jang¹, Se Hee Hwang¹, Jae Il Sohn¹, Yong Seung Hwang¹, Kyu Chang Wang², Byug Kyu Cho², In One Kim³, Kyung Mo Yeun³, Je Geun Chi⁴, Seung Yull Cho⁵

¹Department of Pediatrics, Seoul National University, College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
²Department of Neurosurgery, Seoul National University, College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
³Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Seoul National University, College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
⁴Department of Pathology, Seoul National University, College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
⁵Department of Parasitology, College of Medicine, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Korea

Received: September 29, 1990;  Accepted: November 9, 1990.

Abstract

A clinical study was performed on 5 patients of neurocysticercosis in childhood who admitted to the Seoul National University Hospital for the last two years. The conclusions were as follows: 1) Boys were more than girls with the ratio of 4:1. The average age was 9.5. 2) Three out of five lived in Jeju Island. Three had familial history of taeniasis. 3) Three out of five were diagnosed as ventricular cysticercosis and the other two as meningeal cysticer- cosis. 4) Main symptoms were those of IICP or chronic recurrent meningitis. 5) In all cases ELISA revealed the elevated level of Cysticercus-specific antibody in paired samples of serum and CSF and the titer of the la竹er was higher than that of the former. Two cases out of three which showed strong positive were meningeal cysticercosis. 6) Brain CT showed hydrocephalus and suggestive findings of intraventricular cysts. 7) Brain MRI showed hydrocephalus, intraventricular cysts and leptomeningeal enhancement. 8) One case of the 4th ventricular cysticercosis improved with cyst removal and praziquantel medication. Two of the meningeal cysticercosis and one of the lateral and 3rd ventricular cysticercosis improved with praziquantel only. 9) The average length of follow-up was 2.8 months. Although there was no evidence of recurrence in the course of follow-up, the longterm observation will be necessary to judge whether or not they cure completely. 10) Essential to eradication is prevention: sanitary diet, personal hygiene and environmental improvement.

Keywords :Neurocysticercosis