Efficacy and safety of praziquantel in the treatment of neurocysticercosis in Vietnam.

Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is a parasitic infection of the nervous system and is responsible for considerable morbidity and mortality. Praziquantel (PZQ) is one of the antiparasitics mostly used in managing NCC, however, there have been only a few studies on the treatment outcome of this drug. The present study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of PZQ in patients with NCC. Sixty patients with typical characteristics of NCC received three 10-day cycles of PZQ and the interruption between these cycles was 10 days. Additional treatment included antiinflammation (steroids), antiepileptics and analgesics. Clinical and imaging studies were done at baseline and six months after therapy to assess the efficacy of treatment. Laboratory evaluation was done before and after each cycle to investigate laboratory safety profiles. By six months after finishing therapy, all patients had clinical improvement and 75% of them were free of symptoms. The rates of complete, partial or no resolution of cysts on brain magnetic resonance imaging were 61.7%, 28.3% and 10% respectively. The efficacy of therapy was not associated with the number of cysts. There was no difference between the levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, urea and creatinine before and after treatment. Conclusion: Praziquantel is effective and safe in the treatment of patients with neurocysticercosis.

Efficacy and safety of praziquantel in the treatment of neurocysticercosis in Vietnam

@#Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is a parasitic infection of the nervous system and is responsible for considerable morbidity and mortality. Praziquantel (PZQ) is one of the antiparasitics mostly used in managing NCC, however, there have been only a few studies on the treatment outcome of this drug. The present study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of PZQ in patients with NCC. Sixty patients with typical characteristics of NCC received three 10-day cycles of PZQ and the interruption between these cycles was 10 days. Additional treatment included antiinflammation (steroids), antiepileptics and analgesics. Clinical and imaging studies were done at baseline and six months after therapy to assess the efficacy of treatment. Laboratory evaluation was done before and after each cycle to investigate laboratory safety profiles. By six months after finishing therapy, all patients had clinical improvement and 75% of them were free of symptoms. The rates of complete, partial or no resolution of cysts on brain magnetic resonance imaging were 61.7%, 28.3% and 10% respectively. The efficacy of therapy was not associated with the number of cysts. There was no difference between the levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, urea and creatinine before and after treatment. Conclusion: Praziquantel is effective and safe in the treatment of patients with neurocysticercosis.

Drug resistance and HIV co-infection among pulmonary tuberculosis patients in Haiphong City, Vietnam.

SETTING: Vietnam is one of the 22 countries with the highest burden of tuberculosis (TB). Although its National Tuberculosis Programme (NTP) is effective, there is no ongoing surveillance of drug resistance. OBJECTIVE: To establish the first step of a surveillance programme on anti-tuberculosis drug resistance in Haiphong, the third largest city in Vietnam. DESIGN: A regional survey using proportionate cluster sampling in 2006, and recording patients' characteristics, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) co-infection. RESULTS: There was a high prevalence of HIV co-infection (14.2%) among culture-positive pulmonary TB patients. The prevalence of drug resistance was high, and it was much higher among previously treated cases than among new cases (52.5% vs. 25.6%), with resistance to streptomycin being the most prevalent. The prevalence of multidrug resistance was high among new cases (4.4%), but was relatively low among previously treated cases (10%). HIV co-infection was related to resistance to rifampicin alone among new cases, but was not a risk factor for any other resistance pattern. CONCLUSION: These results suggest a high prevalence of anti-tuberculosis drug resistance and of HIV co-infection among TB patients in Haiphong. Ongoing surveillance to assess resistance trends is needed, and the NTP needs to coordinate HIV and TB programmes to address the growing issue of TB and HIV co-infection.