Acta Parasitologica, Vol. 51, No. 1, 2006, 79-81 Marcela M.F.P. Cavalcante(1), Jose E. Cavalcanti(2), Julia M. Costa-Cruz(3), Alverne P. Barbosa(1),
Simonne A. Silva(1) and Dulcinea M.B. Campos(1)* - Clinical, epidemiological and laboratory criteria for
the diagnosis of human cysticercosis in Brazilian patients
(1)Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saude Publica, Universidade Federal de Goias, Rua 235 c/1a Avenida, s/n Setor Leste Universitario,
74-605-050 Goiania, GO, (2)Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Goias, (3)Instituto de Ciencias Biomedicas, Universidade
Federal de Uberlandia, Uberlandia, MG; Brasil
*Corresponding author: dmcampos@iptsp.ufg.br
ABSTRACT
Cysticercosis (CC) is a polymorphous disease, which makes its diagnosis difficult. This study had the objective of evaluating
the clinical, epidemiological and laboratory criteria in human CC. An epidemiological questionnaire was applied, and indirect
fluorescence antibody test (IFAT) and ELISA-IgG were utilized together with computerized tomography and/or magnetic resonance
imaging on 90 patients with clinical signs suggestive of neurocysticercosis (NCC). Most patients had previously lived
under deficient basic sanitary conditions. The imaging techniques showed that 92.2% of the cysticerci were in the cerebral
parenchyma, 5.5% had a ventricular location, 1.1% were periventricular and 1% was ocular. The cysticerci were observed to
be predominantly in the inactive phase. Seropositivity to the IFAT and/or ELISA was shown by 32.2% (29/90). Of the 29
seropositive patients, 72.4% presented cysticerci in the inactive form, and of the 61 seronegative patients, 78.7% also presented
cysticerci in the inactive form. There was no correlation between active CC and seropositivity, since 72.4% of the seropositive
patients presented calcified cysticerci. The results demonstrated that imaging techniques contributed significantly to elucidate
the laboratorial diagnosis and to evaluate the stage of cysticercus development.
KEY WORDS: Cysticercosis, clinical examination, imaging, immunodiagnosis, epidemiology