1
Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 85(1), 2011, pp. 1–2
doi:10.4269/ajtmh.2011.10-0731
Copyright © 2011 by The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Neurocysticercosis is of emerging importance in the United
States because of immigration from disease-endemic regions
of Latin America.
1
Intraventricular neurocysticercal cysts are
probably more frequent than previously thought and usually
occur as single cysts in the fourth ventricle or as multiple cysts
that frequently coexist with parenchymal and sub-arachnoid
cysts.
2
However, multiple intraventricular cysts without accom-
panying visible parenchymal cysts are a relatively uncommon
manifestation of neurocysticercosis, and it remains unclear if
endoscopic removal of these cysts is adequate without anti-
parasitic therapy.
A 41-year-old man (Mexican immigrant) had headache of
two-months duration. Results of brain imaging and immuno-
logic studies were suggestive of intraventricular neurocysticer-
cosis and three cysts were identified (Figures 1 and 2). There
were no parenchymal cysts. Surgical removal of the cysts with
flexible endoscopy resulted in resolution of symptoms. The
patient received corticosteroids for three weeks but no anti-
parasitic treatment. After one-year follow-up, he remained
asymptomatic without any cysts when examined by repeat
neuroimaging (Figure 3).
Images in Clinical Tropical Medicine
Multiple Intraventricular Neurocysticercal Cysts Treated with
Endoscopy without Antiparasitic Therapy
Theodoros Kelesidis* and Nguyen Thian
Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles,
Los Angeles, California; Department of Surgery, University of California School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California
* Address correspondence to Theodoros Kelesidis, Department of
Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, David Geffen School of
Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, 10833 Le Conte
Avenue, CHS 37-121, Los Angeles, CA 90095. E-mail: tkelesidis@med
net.ucla.edu
Figure 2. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain (transverse
view) of the patient showing two right intraventricular and one left
intraventricular cystic lesions at varying stages. There is a larger 2.3-cm
lesion in the posterior aspect of the right ventricle, which follows fluid
signal on all sequences. There is subtle mass effect of the right ven-
tricle, which appears asymmetrically enlarged compared with the left
ventricle. There is no obstructing lesion in the region of the foramen of
Monro or third ventricle. No parenchymal lesions were identified.
Figure 1. Computed tomography of the head of the patient with-
out contrast showing two right intraventricular and one left intraven-
tricular cystic lesions.