1/7. Eosinophilic meningitis and radiculomyelitis in thailand, caused by CNS invasion of gnathostoma spinigerum and angiostrongylus cantonensis.During the 6 year period from January 1980 to December 1985 44 patients with infection of the central nervous system by gnathostoma spinigerum or angiostrongylus cantonensis were admitted to the Division of neurology, Ramathibodi Hospital, Bangkok, thailand. In 16 patients the diagnosis could be confirmed serologically by means of ELISA techniques. In gnathostomiasis encephalitis, myelitis, radiculitis and subarachnoid haemorrhage formed the majority of clinical syndromes. Intracerebral haematoma and transitory obstructive hydrocephalus are described in this report as being caused by gnathostoma spinigerum infection for the first time. In angiostronglyus infections the clinical syndrome of meningitis was predominant, but one patient, whose angiostrongyliasis was proved serologically, also showed bilateral paresis of abducens nerve. The main laboratory finding was eosinophilic pleocytosis in the CSF (greater than 10%) which in patients originating or returning from South-East-asia, particularly thailand, is highly suggestive of these parasitic infections. Increasing transcontinental travel, influx of refugees and those seeking asylum as well as importation of food from South East Asian countries demand greater awareness of these parasitic infections even in Central europe.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = central nervous system, nervous system (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/7. Fatal encephalopathy due to Lagochilascaris minor infection.A 14-year-old boy with a tetralogy of fallot showed a subacute, progressive encephalopathy characterized by headache, stupor and coma. death occurred three months after the beginning of the illness. Neuropathologic examination revealed diffuse foci of necrosis of the cerebral hemispheres and cerebellum, and the presence of the nematode Lagochilascaris minor in the parenchyma and in the cisterns at the base of the brain. In almost all 28 cases of human lagochilascaris previously reported, the worms were located in the soft tissues of the neck and throat, tonsils, mastoids and paranasal sinuses. This is the first reported case in which Lagochilascaris infected the brain. Since the life cycle of the worm is unknown the pathogenesis of the central nervous system lesions is obscure.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = central nervous system, nervous system (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/7. Micronema deletrix meningoencephalitis in an adult man.This is apparently the second report of a case of human meningoencephalitis caused by the nematode Micronema deletrix. The patient had severe granulomatous meningoencephalitis with numerous foci of hemorrhage and encephalomalacia. Numerous adult female and larval M. deletrix were in the brain. The organisms probably inhabit decaying organic material, but occasionally parasitize the kidney, nose, or central nervous system of the horse. In its parasitic form the nematode replicates parthenogenetically.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = central nervous system, nervous system (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/7. Eosinophilic meningitis and hydrocephalus in an infant.central nervous system invasion by helminths is the most frequent cause of eosinophilic pleocytosis in the CSF. Although CSF eosinophilia is an unusual finding in the continental united states, it is not an uncommon observation in cases of meningitis in hawaii and the South Pacific. The rat lungworm, angiostrongylus cantonensis has been implicated as the causal agent responsible for cases of eosinophilic meningitis in these areas. The diagnosis of eosinophilic meningitis secondary to A cantonensis is generally an indirect one, based on the characteristic clinical findings, documented eosinophilic pleocytosis of the CSF, and history of consumption of food likely to contain infected larvae. hydrocephalus developed in a 9-month-old infant from samoa with absolute eosinophilia and an eosinophilic pleocytosis of the CSF.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.41554856670698keywords = nervous system (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/7. Micronema in man: third fatal infection.Micronema, normally free-living in soil and humus, rarely invades and reproduces in the central nervous system, kidneys, lungs, maxillae and nasal cavity of equines. Two Micronema infections causing fatal meningoencephalomyelitis in man have been reported from canada and texas. Here we report a third infection in a 54-year-old black man, resident of washington, D.C., who probably acquired the infection from decubitus ulcers. The worms in this patient were in the liver, heart and brain. The Micronema species was not identified.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = central nervous system, nervous system (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/7. parasitic diseases of the nervous system in thailand.In thailand there are 3 parasites that commonly cause neurological diseases in man. 1) In gnathostomiasis man becomes an accidental host by eating infected under-cooked fresh water fish. The tissue nematode involved, gnathostoma spinigerum, because of its high motility, may cause widespread damage in the spinal cord and brain stem. The common presenting neurological symptoms are severe nerve root pain, paralysis of limbs and urinary retention. Less frequently seen are cranial nerve palsies and symptoms of subarachnoid haemorrhage. The disease has significant morbidity and mortality. 2) Eosinophilic meningitis caused by angiostrongylus cantonensis, the lungworm of rats, has a more benign, self limiting course. It occurs in Thai people of lower socio-economic groups who acquire the parasite by eating infected raw Pila snails. 3) cysticercus cellulosae, caused by taenia solium, commonly results in epilepsy, and sometimes increased intracranial pressure from intraventricular obstruction or from basal arachnoiditis. spinal cord and cauda equina involvement occurs much less frequently. cysticercus complement fixation tests on the CSF and computerised axial tomography have been found to be of great diagnostic value.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1.6621942668279keywords = nervous system (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/7. Neurological manifestations of gnathostomiasis.Neurological features of 24 patients with nervous system gnathostomiasis were reviewed. The commonest presenting features were radiculomyelitis or radiculomyelitis terminating with encephalitis, and subarachnoid haemorrhage. A primary encephalitic form was noted in 2 patients. The salient feature of the disease was a sudden onset of extremely severe radicular pain and/or headache followed by paralysis of the extremities and/or the cranial nerves. Migration signs were also the hallmark of nervous system gnathostomiasis. No single area of the nervous system was inaccessible to the highly invasive gnathostome lava. Multiplicity and/or rapid progress of lesions beyond the degree of cerebral oedema could only be explained by further migration of the parasite. death occurred in 6 patients from direct extensive involvement of vital centres in the brain stem or from complications such as pneumonia or septicaemia. Multiple cranial nerve palsies were usually bad prognostic signs.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1.2466457001209keywords = nervous system (Clic here for more details about this article) |