Frequency of cerebral arteritis in subarachnoid cysticercosis: an angiographic study.
OBJECTIVE
Subarachnoid cysticercosis is a well-recognized cause of cerebral infarction. However, few patients with this infection develop cerebral infarction, and the reason for this is not known. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of cerebral arteritis in these patients.


METHODS
Using cerebral arteriography, we studied 28 patients with subarachnoid cysticercosis admitted to our hospital from July 1993 to February 1996. All patients underwent MRI to detect the presence of basal arachnoiditis. We analyzed demographic data, time to cysticercosis since the first symptom onset, mode of onset, stroke syndromes, neuroimaging features of cysticercosis and cerebral infarction, and arteriographic findings for each patient.


RESULTS
Of the 28 patients (mean age, 37 years), 15 patients had angiographic evidence of cerebral arteritis (53%); 12 of the 15 had a stroke syndrome (P=.02). Eight of the 15 patients (53%) with cerebral arteritis had evidence of cerebral infarction on MRI, whereas only one patient without cerebral arteritis had cerebral infarction (P=.05). The most commonly involved vessels were the middle cerebral artery and the posterior cerebral artery.


CONCLUSIONS
The frequency of cerebral arteritis in subarachnoid cysticercosis is higher than previously reported, and middle-size vessel involvement is a common finding, even in those patients without clinical evidence of cerebral ischemia.
Barinagarrementeria
F
F
Stroke Clinic, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía. Mexico City, Mexico.
Cantú
C
C
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001100:Arachnoiditis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000469:parasitology*; D001167:Arteritis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000469:parasitology*; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000469:parasitology; D002533:Cerebral Angiography; D002536:Cerebral Arteries / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000469:parasitology; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000469:parasitology*; D003551:Cysticercosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013346:Subarachnoid Space; D013577:Syndrome