Eosinophilic pleocytosis and myelitis related to Toxocara canis infection

Toxocara canis causes the visceral larva migrans syndrome in which central nervous involvement is rare. We report the case of a 40-year-old woman pres enting with a subacute weakness of the right leg and dysaesthesiae in the r ight Th8-Th10 dermatomas. Spinal magnetic resonance imaging examination sho wed abnormal hyperintensity within the spinal cord. Cerebrospinal fluid ana lysis revealed eosinophilic pleocytosis. Antibody titres to Toxocara canis were higher in the cerebrospinal fluid than in the serum. Treatment using m ebendazole led to a complete clinical recovery, normalization of cerebrospi nal fluid parameters and improvement in spinal magnetic resonance imaging a bnormalities.