Paper II
Question
Name the causative agent, infective form and complications of neurocysticercosis
Answer
Causative agent: Taenia solium (the pork tapeworm) — its larval (cysticercus) stage causes neurocysticercosis.
Infective form: eggs of T. solium — humans acquire neurocysticercosis by ingesting eggs (via faecal-oral contamination, contaminated food/water, or autoinfection from a person harbouring the adult intestinal tapeworm), NOT by eating undercooked pork (which instead transmits the adult intestinal tapeworm/taeniasis, via ingestion of cysticerci).
Complications:
- Seizures/epilepsy — the most common presentation; neurocysticercosis is a major cause of acquired epilepsy in endemic regions.
- Raised intracranial pressure/hydrocephalus — from cysts obstructing CSF flow (particularly intraventricular/racemose cysts).
- Focal neurological deficits — depending on cyst location.
- Intense inflammatory response as cysts degenerate — often precipitating the most acute symptomatic phase, sometimes triggered by antiparasitic treatment itself.