Treatment of Cysticercosis and Taeniasis

Note:  Any diagnosis of taeniasis or cysticercosis should be accompanied by a CT scan and MRI to determine whether or not there are cysticerci in nervous or ocular tissue.

http://xray2000.co.uk/

Human back and buttocks exhibiting cysticercosis

Taeniasis

Cysticercosis

There are varying methods of diagnosing cysticercosis, including CT scan, MRI, ultrasound, and serology.  Serology tests for levels of antibodies which target the cysts, but must be performed in conjunction with other methods, because even after a cyst's death, antibody levels may remain high.

 

Treatment of cysticercosis varies wildly depending on location, size, quantity, and the life cycle progress of the cysts.  A treatment plan is usually decided upon following consultation with a specialist.  Below are some of the common treatments.

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Skeletal muscle cysticerci seen near the knee, spine, and torso

Neurocysticercosis

http://www.cdc.gov/NCIDOD/EID/vol10no3/03-0542-G1.htm

Morphological change in brain as a result of ventricular cysts.

Note:  Steroids are administered with Albendazole and Praziquantel to decrease cerebral edema, and therefore decrease seizures a patient would experience due to the brain's swelling.

http://www.ucsf.edu/nreview/12-CNS%20Infections/Cysticercosis.html

MRI of parenchymal cysts