What is neurocysticercosis?
neurocysticercosis is a disease in which the larvae of Taneworm families of Taenia attack the tissues of the brain and the central nervous system to form cysts. These cysts, if present in non -ural tissue, are known as cysticrci . They can be formed in many soft tissues of the body, including skin, muscles and heart, but neurocysticerosis is the most dangerous form of infection.
encysted larvae can exist in a sleeping state in the brain for years without provoking an attack from the immune system. Only when there are a large number of cysts, or when the cyst dies and releases its content, the body builds on the immune response against the invasive pathogen. Neurocysticism was mainly a disease of the development world, but in the United States becomes more often observed. During visits to the hospital for headache or seizures, it is usually detected by displaying magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) .ng food contaminated by human feces that contain eggs. Since the adult form of Taenia sOlium, pork tapeworm, can only exist in humans, only human faecal material will contain eggs. Taenia sanginata, beef tapeworm, rarely causes neurocysticercosis. The egg protection cover is dissolved with stomach acid and invasive larvae enter the bloodstream. From there they can travel to the tissue series.
cysticercosis can also form in pigs when they use food contaminated to tapeworms. They will hatch and create cysts in the body of the pig. If the processing or cooking of pork products for human consumption does not provide proper care, the larvae can enter the small intestine with a normal digestive process, hang on the intestinal wall and develop in an adult tapeworm. In people who carry an adult tapeworm, autoinfection is possible through retroperichalsis, When the digestive tract content moves in the opposite direction. This usually occurs during vomiting when they areThe segments of adult tapeworm segments containing eggs are pushed back into the stomach and eggs hatch through the normal infectious path.
neurocysticercosis can be treated in different ways, depending on the quantity, condition and location of the cyst present in the nervous system. One cyst in the eye may require surgical treatment to prevent blindness caused by the cyst pressure against the optical nerve; Cyst in the spine can lead to paralysis; Cysticrion in the brain can lead to epileptic seizures depending on their location. Life larval cyst only provokes a very weak immune response, but the deteriorating cyst releases its content into the host environment, causing an immune system to attack.
whether the patient should be treated or not is a controversial topic. Some scientists believe that using antiparasitic drugs that kill only the patient's symptoms because it is a dead cyst that causes an immune response. When treatment is prescribed, it is usually a combination of anti-pArahic and anti -inflammatory drugs. In many cases, patients with a small number of cysts will not be treated with medication. Surgical removal of the cysts is accompanied by anti -inflammatory drugs. Patients whose seizures are caused by a dead cyst are usually not treated, but the symptoms should decrease because the larvae are gradually removed by time.
neurocysticercosis is present in 70% - 90% of patients with acute symptomatic seizures. Epileptic seizures usually begin when the cyst is still viable or is just beginning to degenerate. Chronic seizures, however, are usually caused by dead cysts. The first epileptic episode usually occurs when the cyst begins to degenerate by relaxing its content into the brain. Placement of the cyst in the brain and patient you are immune reactions are factors that triggered the first seizure. Neurocysticercosis can be prevented by thoroughly practicing proper hygiene and cooking or freezing meat. Beware of any food from places where human waste can be used as fertilizero.