CISTERNAL CYSTICERCOSIS OF THE CEREBELLO PONTIRE ANGLE - CASE-REPORT WITH REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

Most neurocysticercosis (N.C.C.) cases reported occur in undeveloped countries where contaminated food by Taenia solium gives rise to human infection. People of developed countries are exposed by migrations and travels. We report a case of a 36 years old french woman living at La Reunion. Her symptomatology consisted of left unilateral hypoacusis progressing over a two years period accompanied by intermittent headaches. CT scan showed a hypodense mass with a ring enhancement in the left cerebello pontine angle (C.P.A.). M.R.I. showed multicystic arrangement of vesicles in a racemous fashion that spread out to peduncular and carotid cisterns. Parenchymatous or ventricular involvement was not observed. A lateral suboccipital craniectomy was carried up in the sitting position. After division of a thickened arachnoid in the C.P.A., the vesicles were dissected an pulled out easily because the membranes had not any adhesions. Progressive improvement of hearing was observed in the next week. Primary cisternal involvement of N.C.C. is rare and, in literature, there is not any other reported case in the C.P.A. Different mechanisms of invasion to the C.N.S. are discussed.