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Del Brutto et al. Neuroimmunol Neuroinflammation 2017;4:152-4 Neuroimmunology and
DOI: 10.20517/2347-8659.2017.23
Neuroinflammation

www.nnjournal.net
Editorial Open Access

Neurocysticercosis and hippocampal

damage: a causal link favored by

epileptogenesis or neuroinflammation?

Oscar H. Del Brutto , Victor J. Del Brutto 2
1
1 School of Medicine, Universidad Espíritu Santo, Guayaquil 999165, Ecuador.
2 Department of Neurology, University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
Correspondence to: Dr. Oscar H. Del Brutto, School of Medicine, Universidad Espíritu Santo, Km 3, vía Puntilla-Samborondón, Samborondón,
Guayaquil 999165, Ecuador. E-mail: oscardelbrutto@hotmail.com

How to cite this article: Del Brutto OH, Del Brutto VJ. Neurocysticercosis and hippocampal damage: a causal link favored by epileptogenesis or
neuroinflammation? Neuroimmunol Neuroinflammation 2017;4:152-4.

Article history: Received: 05-05-2017 Accepted: 10-05-2017 Published: 08-08-2017

Dr. Oscar H. Del Brutto, is a Professor of Neurology, School of Medicine, Universidad Espíritu Santo, Ecuador,
and the Director of the Atahualpa Project.

Cysticercosis is a frequent parasitic infection of the striated muscles and many other organs, clinically
nervous system that occurs when humans become relevant disease is often observed in patients with
intermediate hosts of the pork tapeworm Taenia neurocysticercosis (NCC), defined as the infection of
solium (T. solium), after ingesting its eggs. The the central nervous system and its coverings by the
disease is usually transmitted person-to-person, encysted larval stage of T. solium. Most symptomatic
from Taenia carriers to healthy individuals, through NCC patients (up to 80% of cases) develop recurrent
non-hygienic handling of food or by direct contact seizures (epilepsy), which is most often seen in patients
with human feces. Ingestion of undercooked pork with parasites located in the brain parenchyma.
[2]
contaminated with cysticerci as the cause of human NCC is a major cause of secondary epilepsy in many
cysticercosis is a common misconception, since developing countries and is currently considered the
the role of pigs is to maintain the infection cycle by single most important disease explaining the higher
causing human taeniasis. [1] number of epilepsy seen in these regions. In addition,
[3]
travelling and immigration of people from endemic to
While cysticerci may invade the subcutaneous tissue, non-endemic areas has caused increased prevalence

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