Higher succinate than acetate levels differentiate cerebral degenerating cysticerci from anaerobic abscesses on in-vivo proton MR spectroscopy.
We present three patients with large intraparenchymal isolated degenerating cysticerci in whom the diagnosis was primarily based on in-vivo proton MR spectroscopy, and subsequently confirmed histologically. We suggest that the presence of succinate alone or more succinate acetate indicates the presence of degenerating cysticerci and differentiates them from anaerobic brain abscesses, which show acetate alone or in higher concentration than succinate, even when the clinical and imaging features are similar.
Department of Radiodiagnosis, Sanjay Gandhi Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Rae Bareli Road, 226014 Lucknow, India.
M
M
Agarwal
S
S
Chawla
N
N
Husain
R S
RS
Jaggi
M
M
Husain
R K
RK
Gupta
D000085:Acetates / Q000378:metabolism*; D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D001922:Brain Abscess / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000209:etiology*; D020019:Neurocysticercosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D019802:Succinic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*
D000085:Acetates; D019802:Succinic Acid