Psychiatric Disorders of Neurocysticercosis: Narrative Review

Figures & data

Figure 1 World map showing the distribution of T. solium taeniasis/cysticercosis transmission.

Notes: Reproduced from Garcia HH, Gonzalez AE, Gilman RH. Cysticercosis and Its Impact in Neurological Disease. Clin Microbiol Rev. 2020;33(3):e00085–19.¹³ Copyright © 2020 American Society for Microbiology. Reproduced with permission from the American Society for Microbiology.

Figure 2 Life cycle of T. solium Development of both taeniasis and cysticercosis.

Notes: Reproduced from Garcia HH, Gonzalez AE, Gilman RH. Cysticercosis and Its Impact in Neurological Disease. Clin Microbiol Rev. 2020;33(3):e00085–19.¹³ Copyright © 2020 American Society for Microbiology. Reproduced with permission from the American Society for Microbiology.

Figure 3 Macroscopic views of cysticerci in different stages of involution.

Notes: Reproduced from Garcia HH, O’Neal SE, Noh J, Handali S, Peru CWG in. Laboratory Diagnosis of Neurocysticercosis (Taenia solium). J Clin Microbiol. 2018;56(9):e00424–18.³⁶ Copyright © 2018 American Society for Microbiology. Reproduced with permission from the American Society for Microbiology.

Box 1 An Overview of Psychiatric Manifestations in Neurocysticercosis

Psychiatric Disorders in Association with Neurocysticercosis
1-Cognitive dysfunction
2- Depression/Mixed anxiety depression
3- Dementia
4-Psychosis
5-Personality changes

Figure 4 A drawing showing the diagnostic criteria for neurocysticercosis.

Note: These criteria were established by Del Brutto et al; data from Del Brutto et al.⁷⁸

Box 2 Summarization of the Commonly Used Immunological Tests for Diagnosis of Neurocysticercosis.^97,98

lmmunoBlot

ELISA

The current choice for serological diagnosis of neurocysticercosis CDC’s immunoblot is based on detection of antibody to one or more of 7 lentil-lectin purified structural glycoprotein antigens from the larval cysts of T. solium. In clinical settings, the diagnostic performance of the LLGP-EITB performed in serum samples is very high, approaching 98% sensitivity and 100% specificity in patients with more than one viable brain cysticercosis cyst. In patients with a single viable or degenerating cyst, the sensitivity is lower (60% to 70%).

Low specificity of the test has been recognized as a major problem because of cross-reaction of the components of the crude antigens of cysticerci. These components cross react with antibodies specific for many helminthic infections, especially echinococcosis and filariasis.

Garcia HH, Gonzalez AE, Gilman RH. Taenia solium cysticercosis and its impact in neurological disease. Clin Microbiol Rev. 2020;33(3):e00085–19. doi:10.1128/CMR.00085-1932461308

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