Abstract
Human toxocariasis is due to Toxocara species larvae migration through their organism, causing a great variety of symptoms. Central nervous system infection is defined by neurologic symptoms in conjunction with histopathological or parasitological diagnosis, a positive immunodiagnostic test result for serum or cerebrospinal fluid. This report describes one case of neurotoxocariasis manifested by headache and epilepsy. The patient lived in a modest home with her sons and four puppies thereby providing positive epidemiological information. The patient’s blood revealed positive anti-Toxocara canis antibodies. Serodiagnosis studies of her sons also proved positive. This paper attempts giving a synoptic overview of this almost unknown helminthozoonosis; summarises the most important epidemiological parameters and presents the diagnostic and therapeutic possibilities available today.
References
GILLESPIE SH. The epidemiology of Toxocara canis. Parasitol Today 1988;4:180-182.
FINSTERER J, AUER H. Neurotoxocarosis. Rev Inst Med Trop S Paulo 2007;49(5):279-87.
MOREIRA-SILVA SF, RODRIGUES MG, PIMENTA JL, ET AL. Toxocariasis of the central nervous system: with report of two cases. Rev Soc Bras Med Trop 2004;37:169-74.
WOLFE A, WRIGHT IP. Human toxocarosis and direct dog contact. Suppl Compend Contin Educ Pract Vet 2004;26(6):12-16.
VIDAL JE, SZTAJNBOK J, SEGURO AC. Eosinophilic meningoencephalitis due to toxocara canis: case report and review of the literature. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2003;69(3):341-3.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.