Cysticercotic encephalitis: a life threatening form of neurocysicercosis

Neurocysticercosis is the most frequent neuroparasitosis and is caused by Taenia solium larvae (cysticerci). Its most common presenting feature is seizure, although it may present as headache, focal deficits, hydrocephalous, or as features of raised intracranial pressure. We herein report a case of 40-year-old male who presented with features of acute encephalitis and raised intracranial pressure with magnetic resonance imaging suggestive of multiple neurocysticerci with diffuse cerebral edema. A diagnosis of cysticercotic encephalitis was made, which is a syndrome of encephalitis with clinical and radiologic evidences of diffuse cerebral edema caused by parenchymal cysticercosis. It is important for the clinicians to be aware of this medical emergency requiring urgent attention as delay may lead to fatal outcome.