Case of the Week
Section Editors: Matylda Machnowska1 and Anvita Pauranik2
1University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
2BC Children's Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Sign up to receive an email alert when a new Case of the Week is posted.
February 11, 2008
Cysticercosis
- All patients infected with cysticercosis have CNS disease
- About 10% of patients have spinal disease, mostly in the subarachnoid spaces and about 1% have spinal cord lesions (may also occur isolated in the epidural space)
- Spinal cord lesions are nearly always accompanied by brain lesions (thus if cysticercosis is suspected it is always a good idea to image the brain)
- Spinal cord lesions have a non-specific appearance and may simulate tumors or abscesses (pyogenic and fungal)
- Spinal cord lesion size and edema may wax and wane related to treatment
- Even calcified lesions may trigger symptoms and enhance after contrast administration
Current Issue
Case Collections
