title: Profile of adult and pediatric neurocysticercosis cases observed in five Southern European centers.
abstract: In Europe the management of neurocysticercosis (NCC) is challenging because health care providers are unaware of this condition, thus leading to diagnostic delay and mismanagement. The aim of this study is to retrospectively review the cases of NCC observed in five centers located in Florence, Negrar (Italy) and Barcelona (Spain). A total of 81 subjects with NCC were evaluated in the period 1980-2013. By applying the Del Brutto's criteria 39 cases (48.1 %) were classified as definitive cases, 31 (38.8 %) as probable cases and 11 (13.6 %) did not satisfy the diagnostic criteria. Continent of origin was known for 80 subjects. Latin America and Asia were the most frequent continents of origin (n = 37; 46.3 % and n = 22; 27.5 %) followed by Europe (n = 14; 17.5 %) and Africa (n = 7; 8.8 %). Compared with adults, paediatric patients were more likely to have eosinophilia, to have other parasitic infections, to be asymptomatic, to not be treated with antiepileptic drugs or analgesic and to heal. The study shows that there are some hurdles in the management of NCC in Europe. A not negligible portion of patients diagnosed at reference centers do not fully satisfy Del Brutto's diagnostic criteria. The higher portion of asymptomatic subjects found among the paediatric group is probably related to an ongoing serological screening among adopted children coming from endemic regions. The value of such a serological screening should be better assessed by a further cost-effective analysis.
authors.affiliation: Clinica Malattie Infettive, Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale e Clinica, Università Degli Studi di Firenze, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134, Florence, Italy.|Centro di Salute Globale, Regione Toscana, Via Gaetano Pieraccini 24, 50141, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zammarchi
authors.affiliation: Centro di Salute Globale, Regione Toscana, Via Gaetano Pieraccini 24, 50141, Florence, Italy.|Centro per le Malattie Tropicali, Ospedale Classificato Equiparato "Sacro Cuore Don Calabria", Via Don Sempreboni 5, 37024, Negrar, Verona, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Angheben
authors.affiliation: Centro di Salute Globale, Regione Toscana, Via Gaetano Pieraccini 24, 50141, Florence, Italy.|Centro per le Malattie Tropicali, Ospedale Classificato Equiparato "Sacro Cuore Don Calabria", Via Don Sempreboni 5, 37024, Negrar, Verona, Italy.
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gobbi
authors.affiliation: Pediatria, Ospedale Classificato Equiparato "Sacro Cuore Don Calabria", Via Don Sempreboni 5, 37024, Negrar, Verona, Italy.
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zavarise
authors.affiliation: ISGlobal, Barcelona Ctr. Int. Health Res. (CRESIB), Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Carrer Rosselló 132, E-08036, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Requena-Mendez
authors.affiliation: Centro di Salute Globale, Regione Toscana, Via Gaetano Pieraccini 24, 50141, Florence, Italy.|Centro per le Malattie Tropicali, Ospedale Classificato Equiparato "Sacro Cuore Don Calabria", Via Don Sempreboni 5, 37024, Negrar, Verona, Italy.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Marchese
authors.affiliation: Sezione di Pediatria, Dipartimento di Scienze Della Salute, Università degli Studi di Firenze, SODc Malattie Infettive, Viale Pieraccini 24, 50139, Florence, Italy.|Dipartimento Attività Integrate di Pediatria Internistica, Azienda Ospedaliero Univeristaria Meyer, Viale Pieraccini 24, 50139, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Carlotta
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Montagnani
authors.affiliation: Sezione di Pediatria, Dipartimento di Scienze Della Salute, Università degli Studi di Firenze, SODc Malattie Infettive, Viale Pieraccini 24, 50139, Florence, Italy.|Dipartimento Attività Integrate di Pediatria Internistica, Azienda Ospedaliero Univeristaria Meyer, Viale Pieraccini 24, 50139, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Galli
authors.affiliation: Centro di Salute Globale, Regione Toscana, Via Gaetano Pieraccini 24, 50141, Florence, Italy.|Centro per le Malattie Tropicali, Ospedale Classificato Equiparato "Sacro Cuore Don Calabria", Via Don Sempreboni 5, 37024, Negrar, Verona, Italy.
authors.forename: Zeno
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Bisoffi
authors.affiliation: Clinica Malattie Infettive, Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale e Clinica, Università Degli Studi di Firenze, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134, Florence, Italy. alessandro.bartoloni@unifi.it.|Centro di Salute Globale, Regione Toscana, Via Gaetano Pieraccini 24, 50141, Florence, Italy. alessandro.bartoloni@unifi.it.|SOD Malattie Infettive e Tropicali, Azienda Ospedaliero-Univeristaria Careggi, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134, Florence, Italy. alessandro.bartoloni@unifi.it.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bartoloni
authors.affiliation: ISGlobal, Barcelona Ctr. Int. Health Res. (CRESIB), Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Carrer Rosselló 132, E-08036, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Jose
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Muñoz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D002648:Child; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020019:Neurocysticercosis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D059906:Neuroimaging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D041201:Taenia solium / Q000472:pathogenicity; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Cysticercosis; Epilepsy; Europe; Italy; Neurocysticercosis; Spain