Clinical Manifestations Associated with Neurocysticercosis: A Systematic Review

Neurocysticercosis is an infection of the brain with the flatworm Taenia solium which is normally transmitted between humans and pigs. Sometimes, humans can infect other humans and the larva of the parasite can go the brain, causing the disease neurocysticercosis. There has never been a systematic review of what clinical signs are found among people with neurocysticercosis. We conducted a thorough review of the literature to answer this question. We reviewed 1569 and 21 were of a sufficient quality to be included in the final analysis. Among neurocysticercosis patients who are seeking care in neurology clinics, about 79% have seizures/epilepsy, 38% severe headaches, 16% focal deficits and 12% signs of increased intracranial pressure. Several other symptoms were also reported in less than 10% of patients. People with neurocysticercosis who seek care in neurology clinics show a whole range of manifestations. Clinicians should be encouraged to consider neurocysticercosis in their differential diagnosis when a patient presented with one of the symptoms described in this review. This would ultimately improve the estimates of the frequency of symptoms associated with neurocysticercosis

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Forest plots of the proportion of symptomatic neurocysticercosis cases presenting with altered mental state.

<p>Forest plots of the proportion of symptomatic neurocysticercosis cases presenting with altered mental state.</p

Forest plots of the proportion of symptomatic neurocysticercosis cases presenting with focal deficits.

<p>N/A represents the period of study missing.</p

Forest plots of the proportion of symptomatic neurocysticercosis cases presenting with visual changes.

<p>N/A represents the period of study missing.</p

Descriptive summary of the studies included for estimating the death rate associated with neurocysticercosis.

<p>Descriptive summary of the studies included for estimating the death rate associated with neurocysticercosis.</p

Forest plots of the proportion of symptomatic neurocysticercosis cases presenting with seizures/epilepsy.

<p>The forest plots represent A) all age groups, B) Children (0–19 years old) and C) Adults (>19 years old). N/A represents the period of study missing.</p

Pooled estimates of the percentage of manifestations among symptomatic NCC patients using random-effect binomial models.

*<p>One study with binomial 95%CI.</p><p>NA: No data Available.</p

Percentage of manifestations reported in symptomatic NCC patients with active and inactive lesions.

<p>Percentage of manifestations reported in symptomatic NCC patients with active and inactive lesions.</p