title: Three-day versus 15-day course of albendazole therapy in solitary cysticercus granuloma: an open label randomized trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Albendazole therapy has been found effective in solitary cysticercus granuloma. An optimal duration of albendazole therapy is not exactly known. Even 3-day therapy has been found effective.
  
  
  METHODS
  We included 105 patients of new-onset seizures and solitary cysticercus granuloma. We compared 3-day albendazole therapy and 15-day therapy with a control group. Each group had 35 patients. This was an open-label randomized trial. Patients were followed for 6 months. MRI was done after 6 months. Seizure recurrences during follow-up were noted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After 6 months, albendazole group, in comparison to placebo group, had significantly higher proportion (43/70 versus 13/35) of patients in whom lesion had disappeared. Albendazole treatment for 15 days was insignificantly better in comparison to 3-day treatment regimen. In 15-day albendazole group lesser number of lesions (2.8%) was calcified than 3-day albendazole group (8.57%) or no treatment group (20%). After 6 months of follow-up, seizure recurrence was seen in 20 (19%) patients. The majority (15/20) of patients, experiencing seizure recurrence, had an abnormal follow-up MRI. Five patients had seizures despite normal MRI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In conclusion, albendazole was significantly better in producing lesion resolution. A 15-day treatment with albendazole was better than 3-day treatment. Albendazole, possibly, led to less number of lesions got calcified and possibly, there was less risk of seizure recurrence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Medical University, Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow, India.
authors.forename: Navdeep
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Khurana
authors.forename: Ravindra Kumar
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Garg
authors.forename: Rajesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Verma
authors.forename: Hardeep Singh
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Malhotra
authors.forename: Maneesh Kumar
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Rakesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shukla
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015766:Albendazole / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000818:Animals; D000871:Anthelmintics / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003552:Cysticercus; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006099:Granuloma / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020019:Neurocysticercosis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012640:Seizures / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000871:Anthelmintics; D015766:Albendazole