Symptoms


Symptoms of cysticercosis vary depending on the location of the cyst, and the effects the cyst has on the surrounding tissues.  The number of cysts present also play a role in the severity of the side effects experienced by the host.  Cysts can vary from one to several hundred in a location.  Non-neurologic infection commonly leaves an individual asymptomatic.  Neurologic infection of cysticercosis will result in severe nervous tissue inflammation, which may manifest as headaches, confusion, meningismus, and most commonly, seizures.  Pain is the most common symptom in neurocysticercosis.  Hydrocephalus and intercranial pressure as a result of increased amounts of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressing on the ventricles may also result, causing a patient to .  The cyst and associated inflammation can prevent the normal outflow of CSF from the tissues (3).  As seen in the histopathologic images on the histology page, tissue inflammation is the most common symptom, especially in neurologic infection.  
Source 8
The most common clinical features of neurocysticercosis include (4):

  • epilepsy
  • dizziness
  • headache
  • hydrocephalus
  • gait disturbances
  • stroke
  • hemiparesis
  • dementia/cognitive decline

This image was taken from a case report of a women suffering from debilitating back pain.  With no previous history of tapeworm infection or travel to endemic areas, MRI was used to try and identify the source of her acute onset lower back pain.  The arrow in the image shows a mass in her spinal cord, that is later removed and identified as "spinal cord intramedullary cisticercosis." (8).  In this woman's case, as with many others, the most common symptom of both cysticercosis and neurocysticercosis is pain.

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