title: Central American mesencephalopathy.
abstract: A 31-year-old Hispanic laborer sought medical attention for a four-day history of posterior headaches and double vision. The headache spontaneously resolved, but the patient continued to experience vertical diplopia. The neuro-ophthalmic exam revealed minimal anisocoria and subtle deficits of vertical motion of the left eye. MRI scanning demonstrated a lesion within the midbrain on the left side. Lumbar puncture revealed cells consisting primarily of lymphocytes and eosinophils. Both serum and cerebrospinal fluid revealed glycoproteins indicative of a cysticercosis infection. The patient was treated with Praziquantel and steroids with improvement of his oculomotor function.
authors.affiliation: Neuro-Ophthalmology Unit, California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Katz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002489:Central America; D003551:Cysticercosis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D015822:Eye Infections, Parasitic / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008636:Mesencephalon / Q000473:pathology; D015840:Oculomotor Nerve Diseases / Q000209:etiology