Teniaza

Taenia solium scolex

Cysticercosis An adult African man shows numerous subcutaneous nodules of larval Taenia solium (Cysticercus cellulosae).

Cysticercosis. This radiograph shows soft-tissue calcifications resembling rice grains, which are characteristic of chronic cysticercosis. This patient was a refugee from Southeast Asia.

This x-ray reveals cysticercosis of the muscle due to the presence of the cestode Taenia saginata, or beef tapeworm. Humans are the only definitive hosts for Taenia saginata and Taenia solium.

A young male with a seizure A young male with a seizure. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain revealed a ringlike lesion characteristic of neurocysticercosis.

Cysticercosis on computed tomography scan of brain (Taenia solium, pork tapeworm).

B. A CT scan of the brain shows multiple small circular densities B. A CT scan of the brain shows multiple small circular densities. Within many of these, a calcified dot is present that represents calcification of the scolex within the cysticerci.

CT scans, demonstrating multiple nodular lesions in the cerebral cortex in a 21 y-o Japanese female, who complained of muscle weakness in the right arm (left: plain, right: enhanced).

Cerebral neurocysticercosis with diffuse, scattered, ring-enhancing lesions throughout the brain parenchyma with focal edema.

Parenchymal neurocysticercosis in a gross brain specimen The cysts of parenchymal neurocysticercosis are typically observed at the gray-white junction. The most common manifestation is focal seizures.

Higher magnification of a parenchymal cyst in neurocysticercosis Death of the cysticerci, frequently precipitated by effective therapy, results in release of larval antigens which may stimulate an inflammatory host response and exacerbate symptoms.

Neurocysticercosis Such patients often present with seizures. A. A gross section of a human brain shows three pearllike cysticerci. Such patients often present with seizures.

Cross section showing cysticercosis of brain at autopsy.

Photomicrograph of a neurocysticercosis cyst in the brain parenchyma

Multiple cysts of racemose neurocysticercosis following their removal from the subarachnoid space

Typical antibody reactions in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention immunoblot for cysticercosis. Individual serum from patients with either cysticercosis or echinococcosis were analyzed using the immunoblot for cysticercosis.