Disseminated cysticercosis with pulmonary and cardiac involvement

Abstract

Pulmonary and cardiac involvement by cysticercosis is extremely rare, and is usually asymptomatic. We report the case of a 19-year-old boy who presented with a history of headache and vomiting and was found to have disseminated cysticercosis with pulmonary and cardiac involvement; the emphasis is on the rare occurrence of pulmonary, cardiac, pancreatic, intraocular, and extradural spinal canal involvement in the same patient. This case demonstrates the extent to which cysticercosis can be disseminated.

Keywords: Cardiac; disseminated cysticercosis; intraocular; pulmonary.

Figure 1

T2W axial MRI of the brain shows multiple cystic lesions with hypointense eccentric nodules, in both cerebral hemispheres, the midbrain, the cerebellum, and the extraocular muscles

Figure 2

T2W axial MRI of the lumbar spine shows cysticercus cysts in the extradural spinal space (arrow), in addition to muscle (arrowhead) and subcutaneous (curved arrow) involvement

Figure 3

Balanced gradient MRI coronal image of the chest and upper abdomen shows hyperintense nodular lesions in the cardiac muscles (arrows) and pancreas (arrowhead)

Figure 4

HRCT of the lungs shows multiple randomly distributed nodules (arrows) of varying sizes

Figure 5

Transverse B-scan of the right eye shows a large intravitreal cyst (arrow) with a tiny hyperechoic scolex (arrowhead) within it

Figure 6

USG of the heart shows multiple cystic anechoic lesions (arrow) in the myocardium with a tiny hyperechoic scolex (arrowhead) within one of the cysts