Neurocysticercosis in the pediatric age: description and five years of experience

Introduction: Neurocysticercosis is an infection of the central nervous system caused bythe parasitic Taenia Solium, the most common parasites of this system and the principalcause of adquired epilepsy.Objective: To know which are the epidemiological and clinical characteristics in a seriesof children and adolescents with neurocysticercosis diagnosis.Methods: Retrospective, observational study of medical histories, case series type ofpediatric patients with neurocysticercosis diagnosis that were evaluated and followedbetween three and ten months at Hospital Infantil Napoleón Franco Pareja, in Cartagena,Colombia, since June 2006 to June 2011.Results: 201 medical histories were studied, 112 (55.7%) were from rural areas and 89(44.3%) were from urban areas. Fourty new cases per year on average were observedin the last five years. There were observed various cases in children of two years old orless, which is an unusual behavior. All patients were from Bolivar′s department in theColombian Caribbean. The most frequent clinical symptom was focal epileptic crisis, followedby generalized epileptic crisis and in the third place, generalized convulsive status.The disease appeared of the following way according to the clinical stadium: 29 (14.4%)had colloidal clinical stadium, 66 (32.8%) vesicular clinical stadium, 98 (48.8%) granularclinical stadium and 8 (4.0%) calcified clinical stadium. In the majority of the cases(97.5%) anthelmintic treatment was used. Epileptic crisis control was obtained in 100%of the cases. 84.6% received an anticolvulsivant. In the monitoring of the cases therewas identified as the first neurologic consequence: The acquired epilepsy (59%). Studiedpopulation belongs to urban neighborhoods and rural populations, who don′t have anadequate infrastructure of services that guarantees a good management of garbage andoutput.Conclusion: Neurocysticercosis is an important disease that affects since early agesto children from subnormal urban and rural areas of Bolivar′s department. Preventiveactions, included improvement in the environmental reorganization are indispensable.Rev.cienc.biomed. 2012;3(2): 217-225KEYWORDSCysticercosis; Neurocysticercosis; Epilepsy.RESUMEN.Introducción: la neurocisticercosis es una infección del sistema nervioso centralcausada por el parásito Taenia Solium, la parasitosis más común de este sistema y laprincipal causa de epilepsia adquirida.Objetivo: conocer cuáles son las características epidemiológicas y clínicas en una seriede ni os y adolescentes con diagnóstico de neurocisticercosis.Metodología: estudio retrospectivo