Cerebral cysticercosis and stroke.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

In 1985 we initiated a protocol for examining the relationship between cerebral cysticercosis and stroke.

METHODS

In 420 stroke patients admitted to our department, our standard protocol of tests included blood tests, cardiac investigations, angiography, and immunologic cerebrospinal fluid measures. We assessed the following possible risk factors: arterial hypertension, diabetes, cardiopathy, high levels of cholesterol and triglycerides, smoking, alcohol abuse, and cerebral cysticercosis.

RESULTS

Of the 420 patients with stroke, we found cerebral cysticercosis in 31, five of whom were greater than 65 years of age and 26 of whom were less than or equal to 65 years. We determined that cerebral cysticercosis was the only possible risk factor for stroke in one of the five older patients and 15 of the 26 younger and middle-aged patients. Cortical infarctions were found in five of the 31 patients, with cerebral cysticercosis and lacunar infarctions in nine of these patients. One patient had intracystic hemorrhage. In 16 cases, neurological deficit was related to single or multiple cysts, colloids, granulomas, diffuse lesions, or pericystic edema. All patients with cerebral cysticercosis quickly recovered from their neurological deficit, except one who had a hemorrhagic cyst and died and another who remained disabled.

CONCLUSIONS

We established that, in patients with neurocysticercosis, occlusion of the small cortical or penetrating vessels at the base of the brain caused by arteriopathy was the most common mechanism of the stroke. Moreover, there is a probable association between cerebral cysticercosis and the susceptibility to stroke, particularly among young and middle-aged patients.