Neurocysticercosis

CT/MRI PATHOLOGY

GENERAL INFORMATION.

I chose to do my brain pathology over Neurocysticercosis, Aka worms in the brain. This disease is very rare and is caused by a build up of a particular tapeworm in the body. The specific name of this tapeworm is called Taenia Solium, which is a type of tapeworm you can get from eating uncooked pork. This tapeworm can also enter the body by eating contaminated food and or drinking contaminated water. This disease usually occurs in Asia, Africa, etc, that uses human feces to fertilize their farmlands. When humans accidentally come in contact with the feces, they ingest the eggs of the tapeworm, and it then begins to grow in the body (webmd). There are stil quite a few cases in the United States with this disease.

SYMPTOMS

There are some symptoms that occur when someone receives Neurocysticercosis. Seizures, headaches, confusion, feeling a sense of dis balance can occur. Also, if the cysts begin to move into the brain into the fourth ventricle, it could cause hydrocephalus, (water in the brain). These symptoms could occur months or years later and if the disease gets bad enough, death can possibly occur once the worms start to dye off and the brain begins to swell (emedicine.com)

DIAGNOSIS

There are a couple of ways this can be diagnosed. MRI and CT are the two most common ways to find worms in the brain. The technologist in these areas might ask where the patient has been traveling and or what the patient has been eating. MRI and CT scans will be able to tell how many cysts are in the brain or other parts of the body. (medterms.com)

TREATEMENT

There are a few types of treatement given to those who have Neurocysticercosis. A combination of Anti-Parasitic and Anti-Inflammatory drugs usually cure the most acute cases of this disease. If there are several cysts in the brain, surgery will be done to remove the cysts. As the worm dies, the lesion shrinks and symptoms will start to disappear if all goes well.

MRI Image of the brain with Neurocysticercosis