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. 1993 Jan 23;341(8839):197-200.
doi: 10.1016/0140-6736(93)90064-n.

Cysticercosis as a major cause of epilepsy in Peru. The Cysticercosis Working Group in Peru (CWG)

H H Garcia  1 , R Gilman, M Martinez, V C Tsang, J B Pilcher, G Herrera, F Diaz, M Alvarado, E Miranda
Affiliations

Cysticercosis as a major cause of epilepsy in Peru. The Cysticercosis Working Group in Peru (CWG)

H H Garcia et al. Lancet. .

Abstract

In countries where cysticercosis is endemic, the proportion of epilepsy due to cysticercosis is not well documented. To investigate the association between cysticercosis and epilepsy, we used the enzyme-linked immunoelectrotransfer blot (EITB) assay to detect serum antibodies to Taenia solium in 498 consecutive outpatients at a neurology clinic in Lima, Peru. Every patient was classified as epileptic (n = 189) or non-epileptic (n = 309) after neurological, and where possible electroencephalographic, examination. A substantially higher proportion of epileptic than non-epileptic patients was seropositive in the EITB (22 [12%] vs 8 [3%], p < 0.001). 19% of epileptic patients born outside Lima, 20% of those with late-onset epilepsy, and 29% of patients with both these characteristics were seropositive. Thus, in Peru, cysticercosis is an important aetiological factor for epilepsy.

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Comment in

  • Neurocysticercosis and epilepsy.
    O'Donoghue M, Sander JW. O'Donoghue M, et al. Lancet. 1993 Feb 27;341(8844):568. doi: 10.1016/0140-6736(93)90338-h. Lancet. 1993. PMID: 8094816 No abstract available.

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