A case of cerebral sparganosis in South America

Um caso de esparganose cerebral na América do Sul

CONTENTS CONTEÚDO

Alejandro M. E. Boero^I; Pedro Garaguso^II; Jorge Navarré^III

^IChief of Residence, Division of Neurology - From the Divisions of Neurology, Parasitology and Neurosurgery, Ramos Mejía Hospital, Buenos Aires

^IIProfessor of Parasitology - From the Divisions of Neurology, Parasitology and Neurosurgery, Ramos Mejía Hospital, Buenos Aires

^IIIStaff Neurosurgeon - From the Divisions of Neurology, Parasitology and Neurosurgery, Ramos Mejía Hospital, Buenos Aires

SUMMARY

Cerebral sparganosis (CS) is a parasitic infection caused by the larva of Spirometry mansonoides. Rarely it can affect the human brain. We report the case of a 24-year old man from Paraguay who suffered from seizures and headache for one. year. A frontal tumor was diagnosed by CT-scan and was subsequently resected. The pathological examination revealed a larva with Sparganum characteristics. The evolution of the patient was satisfactory. As far as we know, this is the first case of CS reported in South-America.

RESUMO

Esparganose cerebral (EC) é infecção parasitária causada pela larva do Spiro-metra mansonoides. Raramente afeta o cérebro humano. Descrevemos o caso de um paciente paraguaio com 24 anos, que apresentava convulsões freqüentes e cefaléia há um ano. Tumor frontal foi diagnosticado por TC de crânio e ressecado posteriormente. O exame anatomopatológico evidenciou larva com características de Sparganum. A evolução do paciente foi satisfatória. Que seja de nosso conhecimento, este é o primeiro caso de EC relatado na América do Sul.

Texto completo disponível apenas em PDF.

Full text available only in PDF format.

Acknowledgements - We thanks Drs. H.A. molina, J.D. Correale, L.A.L. Resende and R.E.P. Sica for reviewing the manuscript.

Dr. Alejandro M. E. Boero - División Neurología, Hospital General de Agudos J. M. Ramos Mejía - Urquiza 609 - 1221 Buenos Aires - Argentina.

• 1. Anders K, Foley K, Stern WE, Brown WJ. Intracranial sparganosis, an uncommon infection : case report. J Neurosurg 1984, 60:1282.
• 2. Chan S, Tse C, Chan Y, Fong D. Sparganosis of the brain. J Neurosurg 1987, 67:981.
• 3. Fan K, Pezeshkeour G. Cerebral sparganosis. Neurology 1986, 36:1249.
• 4. Kuroiwa T. Plerocercoid in human brain. Fukuoda Acta Med 1951, 43:275.
• 5. Mineura K, Mori T. Sparganosis of the brain : case report. J Neurosurg 1980, 52:588.
• 6. Monolo L, Pontiggia M, Tarfani A, Doriggi A. Su di un caso di sparganosi cerebrale. Riv Neurobiol 1976, 22:69.
• 7. Mueller J. The biology of spirometra. J Parasitol 1974, 60:3.
• 8. Nakajima H, Mitsui T, Suzuki M. Cerebral sparganosis: case report. Neurol Med Chir (Tokyo) 1984, 24:427.
• 9. Pradatsundarasar A, Chihtanawongs C. Shuangshoti S. Sparganum-like parasite of the brain. Southeast Asian J (Trop Med Publ Health) 1971, 2:578.
• 10. Zhong H, Shao L, Lian D, Deng Z, Zhao S, Gao P, He L, Yun C, Pan J. Ocular sparganosis caused blindness. Chin Med J 1983, 96:73.

A CASE OF CEREBRAL SPARGANOSIS IN SOUTH AMERICA

Um caso de esparganose cerebral na América do Sul.

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  22 Feb 2011
• Date of issue
  Mar 1991