Spinal intramedullary cysticercosis: A case report

The parasitic infection of the central nervous system due to Cysticercus cellulosae usually affects the intracranial structures. The spinal form of neurocysticercosis is uncommon, anatomically confirmed cases range from 0.77 to 5.85% among all cases of neurocysticercosis. Even fewer cases appear as spinal intramedullary cysticercosis (SIC); no more than 49 confirmed cases have been reported in the literature. One case of SIC is reported here. The patient showed both motor and sensory symptoms that improved after surgery. One year later he is working again and only hyperreflexia has been detected. Although the magnetic resonance imaging studies showed a cystic intramedullary lesion it was considered to be spinal glioma; only after histologic study was the exact diagnosis made. The clinical symptomatology in these cases is due to compression of descending and ascending spinal tracts; the clinical diagnosis may be suspected in countries where cysticercosis is endemic. Modern neuroimaging techniques provide higher possibilities of accurate diagnosis; however, it can only be established with certainty by histologic study of the surgical specimen.