A proposal to declare neurocysticercosis an international reportable disease.

Neurocysticercosis is an infection of the nervous system caused by Taenia solium. It is the most important human parasitic neurological disease and a common cause of epilepsy in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, representing enormous costs for anticonvulsants, medical resources and lost production. Neurocysticercosis is a human-to-human infection, acquired by the faecal-enteric route from carriers of intestinal T. solium, most often in areas with deficient sanitation. Intestinal tapeworms cause few symptoms, but adult taeniae carried by humans release large numbers of infective eggs and are extremely contagious. Ingestion of poorly cooked pig meat infested with T. solium larvae results in intestinal taeniosis but not neurocysticercosis. With a view to hastening the control of taeniosis and neurocysticercosis we propose that neurocysticercosis be declared an international reportable disease. New cases of neurocysticercosis should be reported by physicians or hospital administrators to their health ministries. An epidemiological intervention could then be launched to interrupt the chain of transmission by: (1) searching for, treating and reporting the sources of contagion, i.e. human carriers of tapeworms; (2) identifying and treating other exposed contacts; (3) providing health education on parasite transmission and improvement of hygiene and sanitary conditions; and (4) enforcing meat inspection policies and limiting the animal reservoir by treatment of pigs. We believe that the first step required to solve the problem of neurocysticercosis is to implement appropriate surveillance mechanisms under the responsibility of ministries of health. Compulsory notification also has the major advantage of providing accurate quantification of the incidence and prevalence of neurocysticercosis at regional level, thus permitting the rational use of resources in eradication campaigns.

[Adenosine deaminase in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome]. / Adenosino-deaminase no líquido celalorraqueano de pacientes com a síndrome da imunodeficiência adquirida.

The adenosine-deaminase (ADA) activity was evaluated in CSF samples from 263 patients with AIDS. An elevated ADA activity in CSF was found in patients with: antibodies to toxoplasmosis, syphilis or cytomegalovirus; Cryptococcus neoformans or their antigens; tuberculous meningitis; lymphoma. There was no statistical difference among all these groups in respect to ADA activity. However, the ADA activity in CSF from AIDS patients without CSF changes other than HIV antibodies, even unspecific changes, was not elevated. This may suggest that ADA is related to AIDS associated pathologies activity rather than to HIV infection itself.

Polymerase chain reaction in the diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis. Preliminary report.

In this preliminary report the results of PCR for detection of DNA sequences (65 KDa antigen) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in CSF samples from 20 patients are registered. In 10 patients there were clinical and laboratory findings suggesting the diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis (test group). In the other 10 patients, clinical and laboratory findings suggested meningitis or meningo-encephalitis from other etiologies (control group). In 7 patients from the test group antigenic DNA sequences of Mycobacterium tuberculosis were found in CSF by PCR; positive results were not registered in the control group.

Polymerase chain reaction in the diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis: preliminary report

Nesse relato preliminar säo registrados os resultados da pesquisa de PCR para detecçäo de sequências de DNA (antígeno 65 KDa) do Mycobacteruium tuberculosis no LCR. Foram estudadas amostras de LCR de 20 pacientes: em 10 havia suspeita clínica e laboratorial de neurotuberculose (grupo de teste); nos outros 10 havia suspeita diagnóstica de meningite ou menigoencefalite de outras etiologias ( grupo controle). Em 7 dos 10 pacientes do primeiro grupo a pesquisa de sequências antigênicas de DNA do Mycobacterium tuberculosis por PCR foi positiva; em nenhum dos pacientes do grupo controle a pesquisa foi positiva

Phenobarbital in newborns with neonatal seizures. A study of plasma levels after intravenous administration.

Phenobarbital plasma levels were studied in a group of 25 newborn infants. Phenobarbital was administered i.v. in all cases throughout the study period. The mean loading dose was 19.4 mg/kg, ranging from 16.4 to 20.5, and the mean maintenance dose was 4.0 mg/kg/day, varying from 2.6 to 5.0. We obtained mean plasma levels of 22.9 micrograms/ml, 24 h after administering the loading dose. Mean plasma levels at 4, 7, 14 and 21 days were in the therapeutic range (15-40 micrograms/ml), with only a few cases falling outside of it. There was no difference in plasma phenobarbital levels between term and pre-term infants. Side effects were not seen in infants without a severe neurological impairment prior to drug administration.

[Histoplasmosis of the central nervous system. Clinical aspects in 8 patients]. / Histoplasmose do sistema nervoso central. Aspectos clínicos em oito pacientes.

Clinical approach has been made in eight patients with histoplasmosis of the central nervous system. All patients had no evidence of immunodepression. Time disease at diagnosis ranged from 6 to 108 months (median 36 months). Main signs and symptoms were: intracranial hypertension in 6 patients; impairment of memory in 4; confusion in 4; seizures in 2; urinary incontinence in 2; sexual impotency in 1. Meningo-encephalitic form was present in 6 patients, while the granulomatous form was found in 2. Diagnostic confirmation was based on: biopsy, in 1 case; necropsy, in 2 cases; cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sediment culture, in 1; detection of antibodies against Histoplasma capsulatum in the CSF, in 5 cases. There was, in all patients, an expressive difference between CSF alterations (intense, merging acute and chronic phase elements) and clinical symptomatology (patients in general oligosymptomatic).

Cysticercosis of the central nervous system and cerebrospinal fluid. Immunodiagnosis of 1573 patients in 63 years (1929-1992).

Attention given to prophylaxis of neurocysticercosis (NC) is far beyond minimal needs among several regions of the in-development world, and for this reason incidence of the disease persists high among them. This investigation was carried out to show the extent of the problem by analysing the incidence of NC in a region of Brazil (São Paulo). CSF immunodiagnosis of NC by detecting antibodies to Cysticercus cellulosae in a neurodiagnostics laboratory is evaluated for this purpose. Cases studied in a 63-year period (1929-1992) are reviewed. Total cases in this period is 139,000, and for 1,573 (1.13%) diagnosis is NC. Special characteristics were not detected for colour and sex prevalence. Age bracket prevalence is from 21 to 40 years old (55.3%) high rates occurring for women between 21 to 30 years old, and for men between 31 to 40. Cases distribution in five consecutive decades (1942-1991) shows no decreasing tendency: average incidence is 1% for the 50 years, and it is over this average for the last three decades. Data confirm that incidence continues expressively high throughout the 50 years covered by this study.

[Histoplasmosis of the central nervous system: study of cerebrospinal fluid in 8 patients]. / Histoplasmose do sistema nervoso central. Estudo do líquido cefalorraqueano em 8 pacientes.

One hundred and thirteen samples of CSF from eight patients with chronic meningitis were studied in a 12 years period (September, 1980-August, 1992). None of them had AIDS. In all, CNS histoplasmosis diagnosis was made by CSF examination. All cases tested positive for antibodies to Histoplasma capsulatum in CSF; in one case the yeast grew in Sabouraud culture in three different occasions. The main findings in CSF by the time of the diagnosis were: moderate hypercytosis marked by lymphocytes and monocytes, neutrophils-being present and in some cases eosinophil cells; moderate increase of total proteins content; decrease in the glucose content; and moderate increase of gamma globulins sometimes with oligoclonal reaction. Patients were followed-up from 7 to 102 months, and periodically submitted to CSF examinations according to clinics. Cell number and total protein content of CSF showed marked episodes of exacerbation in the follow-up, with a dissociated profile favoring total protein content which got higher with the chronification of the disease. Changes in the CSF pattern with treatment were: rapid decrease of hypercytosis; disappearence of neutrophil and eosinophil cells; increase in glucose content; and slow reduction of the increased contents of total proteins and gamma globulins.

CSF in 85 patients with AIDS and CNS cryptococcosis.

In an eight years time period (July 1984-June 1992) CSF samples of 40718 patients were studied, and 610 were from patients with AIDS clinically diagnosed and immunologically confirmed through HIV antibodies detection. Among opportunistic infections detected in them 85 were CNS cryptococcosis. For the purpose of this study the CSF of these 85 patients are the AIDS group of CNS cryptococcosis. For comparison, CSF data from 50 patients with CNS cryptococcosis but without AIDS were taken (non-AIDS group); in this group, 22 patients were immunosuppressed after renal transplant. In AIDS group, the more frequent CSF findings were: yeast presence at direct exam (Fuchs-Rosenthal cell counting chamber), growing of the yeast in cultures, and gamma globulins increase. In non-AIDS group were more frequent: hypercytosis, neutrophil cells presence, and total protein increase. Differences between the two groups are discussed taking into account CNS/CSF immune changes induced by HIV infection. It is concluded that in CNS cryptococcosis of patients with AIDS the CSF evidenced more extensive signs of the fungal opportunistic infection than signs of inflammatory response to the infection. The latter were more prominent among patients of the non-AIDS group of CNS cryptococcosis.

Neurotoxoplasmosis and AIDS. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis in 96 patients.

The behavior of CSF inflammatory pattern in patients with AIDS and/or toxoplasmosis of the CNS is studied in 176 patients, divided in three groups. In the first group, 96 patients with toxoplasmosis and AIDS are considered; in the second group, 50 patients with toxoplasmosis without AIDS; in the third group, 30 AIDS patients without toxoplasmosis nor any other opportunistic infection. It is possible to conclude that patients with toxoplasmosis associated to AIDS exhibit CSF inflammatory pattern similar to patients with neurotoxoplasmosis without AIDS, except in respect to gamma globulin rates for which a cumulative effect can be detected.

CSF in 85 patients with AIDS and CNS cryptococcosis

Foi estudado o LCR de 85 pacientes com AIDS e criptococose do SNC. O diagnóstico clínico e imunológico de AIDS foi previamente estabelecido em todos os casos. Os resultados foram comparado aos de grupo de 50 pacientes com neurocriptococose porém sem AIDS (grupo näo-AIDS). Neste grupo 22 pacientes eram imunossuprimidos após transplante renal. Nos pacientes do grupo AIDS predominavam no LCR: detecçäo da levedura no exame direto (câmara de Fuchs-Rosenthal de contagem de células), culturas de levedura positivas e aumento do teor de globulinas gama. No grupo näo-AIDS predominavam: pleocitose, presença de polinucleares neutrófilos e aumento da concentraçäo protética total. As diferenças encontrdas entre os dois grupos säo discutidas, salientando-se as modificaçöes imunes induzidas no SNC/LCR pelo HIV. Conclui-se que na neurocriptococose em pacientes com AIDS o LCR evidenciou mais a infecçäo pelo fungo que a resposta inflamatória à infecçäo. Esta última predominou no LCR de pacientes do grupo neurocriptococose näo-AIDS

Neurotoxoplasmosis and AIDS: cerebrospinal fluid analysis in 96 patients

Foram estudados 176 pacientes com o objetivo de avaliar o comportamento da reaçäo inflamatória no líquido cefalorraqueano (LCR) de pacientes com toxoplasmose do sistema nervoso central (SNC). Foram considerados três grupos de pacientes: o primeiro com toxoplasmose do SNC associada à síndrome de imunodeficiência adquirida (AIDS), com 96 pacientes; o segundo, com toxoplasmose, sem AIDS, com 50 pacientes; o terceiro, apenas com AIDS, sem qualquer infecçäo oportunista, com 20 pacientes. Verificou-se que o comportamento da reaçäo inflamatória da toxoplasmose do SNC estudada, pelo exame de LCR predomina sobre as características de base da AIDS, excepto no que diz respeito aos teores de globulinas gama; para estas, parece haver efeito comulativo das duas patologias

AIDS. A CSF laboratory experience on 470 cases in a 7 year time period.

In a seven year time period (July 1984 to June 1991) were studied CSF samples of 36,216 new patients, 470 of them infected by HIV. Number of AIDS patients represents 1.30% of total cases examined in the laboratory during this time period. Normal CSF was observed in only 16 cases (3.4%). Associated pathologies occurred in 66% of cases. Opportunistic infections predominated among them (227 cases). Data support indication for CSF examination in HIV infected patients. This exam must be as complete as possible.

Computed tomography in neurocysticercosis: a 10-year long evolution analysis of 100 patients with an appraisal of a new classification.

Three hundred and fifty seven computed tomography (CT) from 100 different patients with neurocysticercosis (NC) were studied between 1979 and 1988. All patients were treated with praziquantel (PZQ). A new classification attempting to recognize the CT evolution profile in NC as well as assigning a possible link between CT findings and biological conditions of cysts is evaluated. It was possible to conclude that: intact cysts remain unchanged in consecutive CTs by 11 months and exhibit signs of degeneration in about 18 months after PZQ drug therapy; degenerating cysts can be detected by 10.5 months, disappear in 11 months and become nodular calcifications in about 25 months. Therefore, a time period of at least 36 months can be estimated for the complete evolution profile of cysts in the brain parenchyma.

HTLV-1 antibodies in serum and cerebrospinal fluid in tropical spastic paraparesis in Brazil.

HTLV-1 antibodies were investigated in serum and in CSF of 150 patients with neurologic disorders mainly myelopathies. The patients were considered into three groups according to the possible relationship of their disease to the presence of HTLV-1 antibodies: no relationship risk (control group), occasional risk group, and possible risk group. In this latter are 56 patients with crural spastic paraparesis or paraplegia of unknown etiology (SP). HTLV-1 antibodies were tested by the passive particle-agglutination method for anti-ATLA antibody detection. The search was negative in all patients of the control group, and positive (serum and/or CSF) in 16.5% of the patients from the second group and in 55.4% of the SP patients group. Clinical patterns in SP cases with HTLV-1 antibodies were those of tropical spastic paraparesis (TSP). CSF patterns considered (cytology, protein content and gamma-globulins rate) were different between TSP group with HTLV-1 antibodies in CSF and SP group with no HTLV-1 antibodies detection either in serum or in CSF. The difference was significant. Results of this investigation confirm the high incidence of TSP in Brazil, and bring additional indication for searching HTLV-1 antibodies in the CSF.

Computed tomography in neurocysticercosis: a 10-year long evolution analysis of 100 patients with an appraisal of a new classification

Foram estudados 357 exames por tomografia computadorizada do crânio (TC) de 100 pacientes com neurocisticercose, tratados com praziquantel (PZQ) entre 1979 e 1988. Foi utilizada nova classificaçäo tomográfica, procurando estabelecer vínculo entre as imagens observadas à TC e a evoluçäo biológica dos cisticercos. Considerando-se como estimador o valor das medianas em meses após o tratamento com PZQ, foi possível concluir que: vesículas íntegras permanecem inalteradas em exames consecutivos por período de 11 meses; apresentam sinais radiológicos sugestivos de processo inflamatório, geralmente associados à degeneraçäo de cisticercos, em período de 18 meses; estas vesículas em degeneraçäo podem ser detectadas durante 10,5 meses, desaparecem em 11 meses e evoluem para calcificaçöes nodulares simples em 25 meses. De acordo com este critério, pode ser estimado período mínimo de 36 meses para o perfil de evoluçäo de cisticercos no parênquima cerebral em pacientes tratados com PZQ

HTLV-1 antibodies in serum and cerebrospinal fluid in tropical spastic paraparesis in Brazil

Foi pesquisada a presença de HTLV-1 anticorpos no soro e no LCR de 150 pacientes com afecçöes do sistema nervoso, particularmente mielopatias. Os pacientes foram considerados segundo três grupos, de acordo com a possível relaçäo entre a doença e a presença de HTLV-1 anticorpos: sem risco de relaçäo (grupo controle); grupo de risco ocasional; grupo de risco possível. Este último abrange 56 pacientes com paraparesia ou paraplegia crural espástica de etiologia näo esclarecida (PE). Foi utilizada para a pesquisa a técnica de aglutinaçäo passiva de partículas para anti-ATLA anticorpo, sendo obtidos os seguintes resultados: näo foram detectados HTLV-1 anticorpos no grupo controle e foram detectados (soro e/ou LCR) em 16,5% dos pacientes do segundo grupo e em 55,4% daqueles do terceiro grupo. O quadro clínico dos pacientes com PE e HTLV-1 anticorpos era compatível a paraparesia espática tropical (PET). Foi verificada diferença significativa quanto a dados do exame de LCR (citologia, concentraçäo proteica e teor de globulinas gama) ao se compararem os pacientes com PET com HTLV-1 anticorpos no LCR àqueles com PE em que tais anticorpos näo foram detectados nem no soro e nem no LCR. Os resultados deste estudo confirmam a elevada incidência da PET no Brasil e ilustram a necessidade da pesquisa desses anticorpos também no LCR

[Neurocysticercosis and praziquantel: long-term development in 100 patients]. / Neurocisticercose e praziquantel: evolução a longo prazo de 100 pacientes.

Evaluation of results observed in a prospective study on the long term follow-up of 100 patients with neurocysticercosis (NC) is reported. Praziquantel (PZQ) was administered to the patients at their admission to the study. Follow-up time was over two years in 63 patients (maximum 118 months). Clinical conditions, TC findings and CSF changes were taken into account for the evaluation. Patients were evaluated periodically during the follow-up. Satisfactory results predominate (72.5%). Satisfactory results maintain a close relationship with clinical forms of the disease: good results predominate among those patients with clinical manifestations of NC which are not marked by intracranial hypertension of progressive character. Results of this long term follow-up evaluation favour the administration of PZQ to patients with NC.