SPARGANOSIS OF BRAIN AND SPINAL-CORD - UNUSUAL TAPEWORM INFESTATION (REPORT OF 2 CASES)

Among the diseases due to cerebral parasitism, those caused by spargan um mansoni, the larval form of Spirometra mansoni, are very rare. We r eport two cases, one involving the frontoparietal area in a 38-year-ol d male and presenting as a mass lesion and another in a 10-year-old gi rl, presenting with paraparesis due to mid-thoracic compressive mass l esion. Pathological examination of the resected lesion revealed the ch aracteristic plerocercoid larva, spargana, enclosed in acute inflammat ory exudate, resembling an abscess. Postoperative recovery was good, s uggesting that the best treatment for cerebral or spinal sparganosis m ansoni is surgical excision. Serological tests for diagnosis were not carried out in these cases, since parasitic infection was not suspecte d. Although generally the role of immunodiagnosis is limited due to ra rity of the condition, in endemic areas such tests may be useful in pr eoperative diagnosis. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserv ed.