Cerebral Parenchymal Racemose Cysticercosis

Cysticercosis is a relatively common disease in Korea. Racemose cysticercosis, a peculiar form of the neurocysticercosis usually occurs as meningeal forms and rarely involves the cerebral parenchyme. The authors present a case of cerebral parenchymal racemose cysticercosis in a 55 year-old man with generalized seizure. Brain CT and MRI showed a large multilobulated cyst in the right frontal lobe. At surgery, we removed cyst covered by milkish white, multiple septated membranes completely. Histological dignosis of surgical specimen was racemose cysticercosis without scolex.

A Case of Racemose Cysticercus Infection

Racemose cysticercosis, which is almost exclusively found in intracranial cavity in vary rare occasions, was recognized in a 54-year-old Korean woman. Brain CT revealed a large lobated cystic mass without marginal enhancement, in the right frontotemporal lobe, together with irregularly distributed calcified spots in the parietal area. A 5x6x7cm sized irregularly lobated mass in the subarachnoid space, containing 38ml of xanthochromic fluid was removed. Pathologically the cyst was a racemose cysticercus without scolex. The serum and CSF of the patient showed positive reaction with antigen of Cysticercose celluosae by micro-ELISA for their specific IgG antibody. After the surgery, the patient was treated with Praziquantel for remaining worms(as revealed by calcified spots on brain CT). Follow-up examinations showed improvement in both clinical symptoms and brain CT findings, but Cysticercus-specific IgG antibody level did not fall to normal for 1 year. The rarity of racemose cysticercus infection, together with evidences of concomitant occurrence with C. cellulosae warranted one's case report.