Cysticercosis differential diagnosis

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Overview

Cysticercosis must be differentiated from other diseases that cause brain lesions and ocular lesions.

Disease	Prominent clinical feature	Lab findings	Radiological findings
Neurocysticercosis	Parenchymal lesions: Presentation depends on the site and number of lesions. Seizures are the most common presentation. It is mostly focal but can have a secondary generalization.	Lab findings are nonspecific.
Brain abscess	Headaches are the most common symptom. Usually, headaches occur on the same side of the abscess and tend to be severe (not responding to analgesics). Fever is not a reliable sign .(2)	Lumbar puncture is contraindicated but when done, it was variable between patients. Culture from the CT-guided aspirated lesion helps in identifying the causative agent.	Contrast enhances CT provides rapid assessment of the size and number of the abscesses. MRI: Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) MRI can differentiate brain abscesses from cystic brain lesions with sensitivity and specificity of 96% (3)
Brain tumors	Most common presenting symptom is dull aching headache. Usually, it's associated with other symptoms of increased intracranial pressure (ICP) as seizures, visual disturbances, nausea, and vomiting. (4)		CT may be used in localizing the tumor and getting a rough estimate on the dimensions. MRI: Gadolinium-enhanced MRI is the preferred imaging modality for assessing the extension of the tumor and its exact location. (4)
Brain tuberculoma	Brain tuberculomas has insidious onset of symptoms as compared to tuberculous meningitis. Presentations are usually due to the pressure effect, not the T.B. bacilli. Presenting symptoms and signs in order of occurrence: (5) Episodes of focal seizures Signs of increased intracranial pressure Focal neurologic deficits.	T.B. should be investigated everywhere else in the body (e.g. peripheral lymphadenopathy, sputum and blood culture)	CT: Contrast-enhanced CT scan shows a ring enhancing lesion surrounded by an area of hypodensity (cerebritis) and the resulting mass effect. MRI: Better than CT scan in assessing the site and size of the tuberculoma. Gadolinium-enhanced MRI shows a ring enhancing lesion between 1-5 cm in size (In NCC, the wall is thicker, calcifications are eccentric and the diameter is less than 2 cm)
Neurosarcoidosis	70% of the patients present with the neurological symptoms rather than the presentation of systemic disease. Common presentations are:(6) Cranial neuropathies : Facial balsy is the most common presentation. Meningeal involvement: diffuse meningeal inflammation can cause diffuse basilar polyneuropathy in 40% of the patients. with neurosarcoidosis. Inflammatory spinal cord disease: Inflammatory span usually more than 3 spinal cord segments which helps to differentiate it from Multiple sclerosis. Peripheral neuropathy: Asymmetric polyneuropathy or mononeuritis multiplex. It may also manifest as GBS like presentation. HPO axis involvent: may present as diabetes inspidus. More thab 50% of the cases have no radiological signs.	Non invasive tests have low sensitivity and specificity. Serum ACE levels are elevated in 25% of the cases Lumbar puncture shows elevated spinal cord proteins together with mild-moderate pleocytosis. It is usually accompanied by oligoclonal bands.(6)	MRI with contrast shows enhancement of the inflamed ares (i.e. cranial nerves, meninges or HPO axis)

References

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