Case #154 - April, 2005
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A 49-year-old male immigrant from Mexico was seen at a local medical facility specializing in neural disorders for frequent headaches and occasional seizures. Figures A and B show what was observed on a hematoxylin and eosin (H & E) stained section of lesions detected in the right frontal lobe of his brain. Figure A was taken at 40× magnification and Figure B was taken at 100× magnification. What is your diagnosis? Based on what criteria?
Figure A
Figure B
Case Answer
This was a case of cysticercosis caused by the larval stage of Taenia solium. Diagnostic features were:
- a single protoscolex (yellow circle, Figure A) visible within the bladder wall (blue arrows, Figure A). Racemose cysticerci are characterized by proliferating, lobulated cysts without a scolex which are usually found in the ventricular system and subarachnoid space, and, rarely, in the cerebral parenchyma.
- the extensive folding of the spiral canal and one sucker of the protoscolex (black arrow, Figure B).
- the presence of calcareous corpuscles (green arrows, Figure B).
Figure A
Figure B
Serology for cysticercosis is recommended as a noninvasive laboratory diagnostic procedure prior to treatment that can be very useful in patients suspected of having cysticercosis.
More on: Cysticercosis
Images presented in the monthly case studies are from specimens submitted for diagnosis or archiving. On rare occasions, clinical histories given may be partly fictitious.
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