<abstract xml:lang="en" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>We report the case of a 4-year-old boy suffering from a cerebral form of toxocariasis. High serum titres of anti-Toxocara antibodies indicated that the primary infection was induced by a high number of Toxocara eggs and that the larvae did not penetrate to cerebrospinal fluid due to the hematoencephalic barrier. MRI of the patient’s brain showed multiple focal lesions spread diffusely in almost all parts of the brain, predominantly paraventricularly. These might be eosinophil-rich granulomatous infiltrates enclosing larvae. Extensive morphological changes were the cause of serious neurological symptoms, most of them being reversible after follow-up therapy. Radiology proved to be useful diagnostic method, but the specific serological assessment had a key role for the final diagnosis. In conclusion, diagnosis of this patient was intracranial primary Toxocara infection with central quadruparesis and parainfective myocarditis.</p></abstract>

We report the case of a 4-year-old boy suffering from a cerebral form of toxocariasis. High serum titres of anti-Toxocara antibodies indicated that the primary infection was induced by a high number of Toxocara eggs and that the larvae did not penetrate to cerebrospinal fluid due to the hematoencephalic barrier. MRI of the patient’s brain showed multiple focal lesions spread diffusely in almost all parts of the brain, predominantly paraventricularly. These might be eosinophil-rich granulomatous infiltrates enclosing larvae. Extensive morphological changes were the cause of serious neurological symptoms, most of them being reversible after follow-up therapy. Radiology proved to be useful diagnostic method, but the specific serological assessment had a key role for the final diagnosis. In conclusion, diagnosis of this patient was intracranial primary Toxocara infection with central quadruparesis and parainfective myocarditis.

A case of complicated cerebral toxocariasis in a 4-year old child

Parasitological Institute, SAS, Hlinkova 3, 040 01, Košice, Slovak Republic

Clinic of Pediatrics Diseases of Jessenius Medical Faculty of Komensky University and University Hospital of Martin, Martin, Slovak Republic

East Slovakia Institute of Oncology, Louis Pasteur University Hospital, Košice, Slovak Republic

Clinic of Radiology Diseases of Jessenius Medical Faculty of Komensky University and University Hospital of Martin, Martin, Slovak Republic

Clinic of Infectious Diseases of Jessenius Medical Faculty of Komensky University and University Hospital of Martin, Martin, Slovak Republic

Helminthologia

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{"article-title":"A case of complicated cerebral toxocariasis in a 4-year old child"}

We report the case of a 4-year-old boy suffering from a cerebral form of toxocariasis. High serum titres of anti-Toxocara antibodies indicated that the primary...

A case of complicated cerebral toxocariasis in a 4-year old child

Published Online: Jan 11, 2009

Page range: 169 - 172

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/s11687-008-0034-z

Keywords
cerebral toxocariasis, larval toxocariasis, magnetic resonance, diagnostics

© 2008 Institute of Parasitology, SAS, Košice, Slovakia

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

A case of complicated cerebral toxocariasis in a 4-year old child

Published Online: Jan 11, 2009

Page range: 169 - 172

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/s11687-008-0034-z

Keywordscerebral toxocariasis, larval toxocariasis, magnetic resonance, diagnostics

© 2008 Institute of Parasitology, SAS, Košice, Slovakia

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
cerebral toxocariasis, larval toxocariasis, magnetic resonance, diagnostics