The role of computed tomography (CT) in the diagnosis of neurocysticercosis

Abstract

With the introduction of computed tomography (CT), the diagnosis of cysticercosis of the central nervous system (CNS) has been considerably improved. This is very important, especially for the countries in which the disease is still endemic. Plain skull radiographs or invasive procedures such as pneumography, ventriculography, and cerebral angiography can be used, but now CT has become the examination of choice because it is a safe, noninvasive, and accurate method thus making the other procedures unnecessary. In the present paper, 8,676 CT scans are reviewed from which 710 are selected patients with neurocysticercosis. CT has provided the diagnosis with greater precision than before. Its localization in the series was as follows: parenchymal, 473 patients, 65.2%; meningeal, 125 patients, 18.3%; mixed, 96 cases, 14%; intraventricular, 16 cases, 2.5%.