CISTERNAL CYSTICERCOSIS OF THE CEREBELLO PONTIRE ANGLE - CASE-REPORT WITH REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

Most neurocysticercosis (N.C.C.) cases reported occur in undeveloped c ountries where contaminated food by Taenia solium gives rise to human infection. People of developed countries are exposed by migrations and travels. We report a case of a 36 years old french woman living at La Reunion. Her symptomatology consisted of left unilateral hypoacusis p rogressing over a two years period accompanied by intermittent headach es. CT scan showed a hypodense mass with a ring enhancement in the lef t cerebello pontine angle (C.P.A.). M.R.I. showed multicystic arrangem ent of vesicles in a racemous fashion that spread out to peduncular an d carotid cisterns. Parenchymatous or ventricular involvement was not observed. A lateral suboccipital craniectomy was carried up in the sit ting position. After division of a thickened arachnoid in the C.P.A., the vesicles were dissected an pulled out easily because the membranes had not any adhesions. Progressive improvement of hearing was observe d in the next week. Primary cisternal involvement of N.C.C. is rare an d, in literature, there is not any other reported case in the C.P.A. D ifferent mechanisms of invasion to the C.N.S. are discussed.