Symptomatic human neurocysticercosis--age, sex and exposure factors relating with disease heterogeneity.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the relevance of exposure and host biological factors in the heterogeneity of the clinical, radiological and inflammatory picture of neurocysticercosis (NCC).


METHODS
105 Mexican symptomatic NCC patients confirmed by imaging were studied before they received any specific treatment. The relationships studied were those between a) the patients' characteristics (gender, age and level of exposure), b) the type of clinical picture and c) the radiological and inflammatory characteristics of the disease (number, aspect, localization of the parasites, and CSF leukocyte counts).


RESULTS
Seizures were the most frequent symptom and multiple subarachnoid cysticerci the most frequent localization. Symptomatology related to the developmental stage, number and localization of the parasites as well as the CSF leukocyte-counts. The total number of cysticercal lesions and of vesicular cysticerci increased with age,whereas the number of colloidal cysticerci decreased. CSF leukocyte-counts were higher in women than in men. Levels of exposure did not correlate with the clinical and radiological pictures.


CONCLUSIONS
The variability found in the number, stage, localization and inflammation in the parasite lesions is strongly associated with the heterogeneity of NCC symptoms. The increased number of vesicular cysticerci and the decreased number of degenerating cysticerci with aging, as well as the prominence of inflammation in women suggest that immuno-endocrinological factors may play a role in susceptibility and pathogenesis. The data also show that with increasing age and exposure there is no increment in severity, a suggestion that there might be ways of regulating pathogenicity.
Fleury
Agnès
A
Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía, Insurgentes Sur 3877, Col. La Fama, 14269, México, D. F. afleury@biomedicas.unam.mx
Dessein
Alain
A
Preux
Pierre Marie
PM
Dumas
Michel
M
Tapia
Graciela
G
Larralde
Carlos
C
Sciutto
Edda
E
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000367:Age Factors; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000473:pathology*; D015984:Causality; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000166:cytology; D004660:Encephalitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D020019:Neurocysticercosis / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology*; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012737:Sex Factors; D013346:Subarachnoid Space / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data