Literature DB >> 24197175

Disseminated cysticercosis.

Ajit H Goenka.   

Abstract

Entities:  

Mesh:

Year:  2013        PMID: 24197175      PMCID: PMC3820318          DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.13-0242a

Source DB:  PubMed          Journal:  Am J Trop Med Hyg        ISSN: 0002-9637            Impact factor:   2.345


× No keyword cloud information.
Dear Sir: I read with interest the well-illustrated report of disseminated cysticercosis in a Japanese international traveler by Kobayashi and others in the AJTMH.1 I wish to compliment the authors on the accurate diagnosis and prompt treatment of this patient because previous experience suggests that clinical diagnosis of disseminated cysticercosis is seldom achieved even in endemic regions given the rarity of the disease contributing to low clinical suspicion.2 Because international travel has become inevitable in today's global world, clinical experience such as the authors' gives us vital awareness about the perils of such tours. Certain aspects of the pathogenesis of the disease in the patient, however, are not entirely clear to us. It is known that there are two discrete forms of Taeniasis: intestinal tapeworm infestation, which is usually asymptomatic, and clinical cysticercosis. The pork tapeworm, Taenia solium, is found in the small intestine of humans (definitive host), and the larval forms (cysticerci) are found in the skeletal muscle of pigs (intermediate host). Ingesting pork containing cysticerci is considered the route through which individuals most often acquire the infestation and thus, become carriers.3 The authors mention that patient's host family members were apparently normal and therefore, the patient may not have acquired the disease through fecal–oral contamination with eggs. In other words, infestation was acquired not through eggs but through larval forms, which in turn grew into adult worms. The fact that the patient had a history of excretion of worm segments further favors this assertion. Could partaking of pork, which was part of the patient's diet during his overseas travel, then have been the more likely means of infestation based on what I know about the disease? Furthermore, although there appears no doubt that worm infestation was acquired during the patient's international travel to an endemic country; the pathway leading to clinical cysticercosis is intriguing. Clinical cysticercosis follows ingestion of eggs present in water or food contaminated with human feces3; therefore, is it likely that the patient's progression from worm infestation to clinical cysticercosis were caused by feco–oral transmission of eggs excreted by his own self? These insights will enable us to better understand the pathogenesis of cysticercosis in international travelers and thus, device possible preventive measures for our patients. Finally, I would like to point out that there is a growing concern in the medical community about the ionizing radiation from computed tomography (CT), which has become the largest source of medical radiation exposure to the population.4 Recently, whole body-magnetic resonance imaging (WB-MRI) using the total imaging matrix (TIM) coil has been shown as a valuable stand-alone modality in the diagnosis and management of disseminated cysticercosis.3,5 Therefore, when disseminated infection is suspected, using WB-MRI instead of whole body CT may spare our patients from the potential long-term effects of ionizing radiation from CT.
  5 in total

1.  Pseudomuscular male with seizures: disseminated cysticercosis.

Authors:  Ajit Harishkumar Goenka; Ajay Garg
Journal:  Int J Infect Dis       Date:  2010-03-21       Impact factor: 3.623

Review 2.  Computed tomography--an increasing source of radiation exposure.

Authors:  David J Brenner; Eric J Hall
Journal:  N Engl J Med       Date:  2007-11-29       Impact factor: 91.245

3.  Rare case of disseminated cysticercosis and taeniasis in a Japanese traveler after returning from India.

Authors:  Ken-ichiro Kobayashi; Fukumi Nakamura-Uchiyama; Takeshi Nishiguchi; Kenichi Isoda; Yasumasa Kokubo; Katsuhiko Ando; Masaki Katurahara; Yasuhito Sako; Tetsuya Yanagida; Akira Ito; Sentaro Iwabuchi; Kenji Ohnishi
Journal:  Am J Trop Med Hyg       Date:  2013-04-29       Impact factor: 2.345

4.  Disseminated cysticercosis in a child: whole-body MR diagnosis with the use of parallel imaging.

Authors:  Atin Kumar; Ajit Harishkumar Goenka; Anita Choudhary; Jitendra Kumar Sahu; Sheffali Gulati
Journal:  Pediatr Radiol       Date:  2009-12-01

5.  Whole body MR and disseminated cysticercosis.

Authors:  Ajit Harishkumar Goenka; Atin Kumar
Journal:  Indian J Radiol Imaging       Date:  2011-04
  5 in total

北京卡尤迪生物科技股份有限公司 © 2022-2023.