Diagnostic criteria for neurocysticercosis: some modifications are needed for Indian patients

Abstract

In India and other less developed countries the diagnosis of neurocysticercosis is frequently difficult because several other prevalent neurological disorders can present with a similar clinical and neuroimaging picture. Currently available international criteria seem to be helpful for the diagnosis of neurocysticercosis, however, these criteria have been criticized for not being effective in differentiating several other infective and neoplastic diseases of central nervous system (CNS), like CNS tuberculosis, from neurocysticercosis. In this article, modifications in the recent diagnostic criteria given by Del Brutto et al (2001) are being suggested, so, it can become more suitable for Indian patients. In India the overwhelming majority of patients with neurocysticercosis have either single enhancing or less frequently multiple enhancing CT lesions. Imaging and clinical features of various infective conditions, like tuberculoma, fungal granuloma, and parasitic granuloma, and of neoplastic conditions like cerebral metastasis, are remarkably similar. Keeping this in mind, the modification suggested in this article is to replace epidemiological criteria with the section diagnosis of neurocysticercosis with caution in certain situations. These situations are middle or old age, evidence of pre-existing tuberculosis or malignancy, pre-existing HIV infection and in patients with grossly abnormal neurological examination. In these situations, in the absence of one of the absolute criteria, it should be essential to consider and exclude all other likely possibilities before making a diagnosis of neurocysticercosis. However, because of the high prevalence of several disorders with similar features it is difficult to make reliable diagnostic criteria for neurocysticercosis, which are easy to use, and have a high specificity and sensitivity.