Worms in brain is called
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neurocysticercosis worms in brain types causes symptoms
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Here is a full, textbook-grounded answer:
Worms in the Brain = Neurocysticercosis
The medical term for worms (specifically tapeworm larvae/cysts) in the brain is Neurocysticercosis (NCC).
- The broader umbrella term is cerebral helminthiasis (any helminth/worm infestation of the brain).
- The most common and clinically important form is neurocysticercosis, caused by the larval cysts (cysticerci) of the pork tapeworm Taenia solium.
How It Happens
Humans accidentally swallow T. solium eggs (from contaminated food/water or poor hand hygiene). The eggs hatch into larvae (oncospheres), which penetrate the gut wall, enter the bloodstream, and migrate to tissues - including the brain - where they form fluid-filled cysts called cysticerci.
The presence of these cysticerci in the CNS is what defines neurocysticercosis. - Goldman-Cecil Medicine
Types / Locations
| Type | Location | Main Feature |
|---|---|---|
| Parenchymal NCC | Brain tissue itself | Seizures (most common) |
| Ventricular NCC | Brain ventricles | Obstructive hydrocephalus |
| Subarachnoid NCC | Subarachnoid space | Chronic arachnoiditis, mass effect |
| Spinal NCC | Spinal cord | Radiculitis |
| Ocular NCC | Eye | Visual disturbance |
Key Symptoms
- Seizures - the single most common presentation (especially a single enhancing lesion in India)
- Headaches
- Raised intracranial pressure / hydrocephalus
- Focal neurological deficits
- Cognitive or psychiatric changes (in severe cases)
Stages of the Lesion (on MRI/CT)
There are 4 recognized stages:
- Vesicular - live cyst, minimal inflammation
- Colloidal - cyst begins to degenerate, ring enhancement on imaging
- Granular nodular - further shrinkage, nodular calcification begins
- Calcified nodular - dead calcified granuloma; can still trigger recurrent seizures
Other Worms That Can Affect the Brain
| Organism | Condition |
|---|---|
| Taenia solium larvae | Neurocysticercosis (most common) |
| Echinococcus species | Cerebral echinococcosis (hydatid cyst) |
| Toxocara canis/cati | Cerebral toxocariasis |
| Strongyloides stercoralis | CNS strongyloidiasis |
| Baylisascaris procyonis | Larval migrans encephalitis |
Treatment
- Antiparasitic drugs: Albendazole (preferred) or praziquantel, combined with corticosteroids to reduce inflammation
- Antiepileptics: To control seizures (monotherapy often sufficient)
- Surgery/endoscopy: For ventricular cysts causing hydrocephalus
- Treatment is individualized based on number, location, and viability of cysts
(Source: Goldman-Cecil Medicine; Tintinalli's Emergency Medicine)
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