title: Under seize: neurocysticercosis in an immigrant woman and review of a growing neglected disease.
abstract: Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is a significantly neglected tropical disease and, with increasing globalisation, a notable emerging infection in the developed world. We describe a case of ventricular NCC in a 22-year-old Mexican-American woman with a history of seizures, who presented with 2 weeks of headaches and intermittent fevers progressing to altered mental status and vomiting. Initial imaging revealed a cystic mass at the posteroinferior aspect of the third ventricle superior to the aqueduct of Sylvius, calcifications scattered throughout the parenchyma, and enlargement of the lateral and third ventricles. Initial laboratories were unrevealing and serum investigations for Taenia solium antibody were negative, but T. solium antibody was subsequently returned positive from cerebrospinal fluid. This case highlights important issues regarding the clinical presentation, diagnostic evaluation and treatment of NCC relevant to providers not only in areas with endemic disease but, importantly, in locales with diverse immigrant populations.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
authors.forename: Meredith
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bock
authors.affiliation: Cysticercosis Unit, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Neurologicas, Lima, Peru.
authors.forename: Hector H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chin-Hong
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
authors.forename: Sanjiv M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Baxi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D002535:Cerebral Aqueduct / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000469:parasitology; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000469:parasitology; D017058:Mexican Americans; D020019:Neurocysticercosis / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000469:parasitology*; D012640:Seizures / Q000469:parasitology; D041201:Taenia solium; D020542:Third Ventricle / Q000469:parasitology; D014839:Vomiting / Q000469:parasitology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies