title: Hydrocephalus and neurocysticercosis: cases illustrative of three distinct mechanisms.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cysticercosis is the most frequent parasitic infection of the nervous system. Most lesions are intracranial, and spinal involvement is rare. We describe here in two cases of neurocysticercosis (NCC) in the brain and one in the spinal cord that illustrate three distinct mechanisms leading to symptomatic acute hydrocephalus.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hydrocephalus was related to intracranial NCC in two of them. In the first case the hydrocephalus was due to an extensive arachnoiditis to the craniocervical junction, while in the second it was caused by obstruction of Magendie's foramen in the fourth ventricle by the scolex of Taenia solium. For the third patient, hydrocephalus revealed cysticercosis of the cauda equina due to the scolex.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  NCC should be considered as a possible diagnosis for patients suffering from hydrocephalus when they originate from or have traveled in endemic areas, MRI of the spine is mandatory to search for intraspinal lesions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, AP-HP Hôpital Beaujon, Clichy, France.
authors.forename: Aymeric
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Amelot
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, AP-HP Hôpital Beaujon, Clichy, France.
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Faillot
keywords: brain; cauda equina; hydrocephalus; neurocysticercosis; tropical disease