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Hello - I M Positive Person, I Like To Travel

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Posted on Thu, 23 Jun 2022
Question: Hello - i m positive person, i like to travel discover different cultures and places

I like to go to XXXXXXX but i know that it is place where i and my family can get T.solium - cysts, by food or close contact ( pork i and my family dont eat)

I m smart person - and care about my family

So i was reading some info - and i understand that is important to make diagnose and treat CYSTICERCOSIS and do it in early stage
There is very good science example here below:

The outcome following surgery for NCC depends on the form of the disease for which the surgery was done. For intraventricular cysts, large parenchymal cysts, large racemose cysts causing mass effect and for biopsy or excision of atypical SCG, the outcome is generally excellent with over 95% of patients making an uneventful recovery. Couldwell et al.40 found that 75% of patients with NCC who underwent surgery had improved at a follow up of 3 years. However, shunt surgery for hydrocephalus caused by cysticercotic meningitis is complicated by frequent shunt revisions for blockages or infection in as many as 68% of patients and carries a mortality of 50% on long-term follow up.24 Mortality is particularly high in patients with basal racemose cysticercosis.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0000


So i understand that it is very important to find CYSTICERCOSIS intraventricular cysts in early stage - because late stage outcome of intraventricular cysts is bad !

So it is important to do laboratory test before intraventricular cysts grow large and cause hydrocephalus

it seams very logic !

About laboratory diagnosis literature : below

parasitologically confirmed cases of cysticercosis have detectable antibodies. No serum samples from patients with other microbial infections react with any of the T. solium-specific antigens. The most important factors identified as determining positive immunoblot reactions are the numbers and stage of development of cysticerci. Cumulative clinical experience has confirmed that in patients with multiple (more than two) lesions, the test has more than 95% sensitivity. Seropositivity in biopsy-confirmed patients with single, enhancing parenchymal cysts was <50%; in clinically defined patients with a single cyst but who were not biopsied, sensitivity was 70%. Seropositivity in serum and CSF of patients with multiple but only calcified cysts was 82 and 77%, respectively.

parasitologically confirmed cases of cysticercosis have detectable antibodies. No serum samples from patients with other microbial infections react with any of the T. solium-specific antigens. The most important factors identified as determining positive immunoblot reactions are the numbers and stage of development of cysticerci. Cumulative clinical experience has confirmed that in patients with multiple (more than two) lesions, the test has more than 95% sensitivity. Seropositivity in biopsy-confirmed patients with single, enhancing parenchymal cysts was <50%; in clinically defined patients with a single cyst but who were not biopsied, sensitivity was 70%. Seropositivity in serum and CSF of patients with multiple but only calcified cysts was 82 and 77%, respectively.

https://mcdinternational.org/trainings/malaria/english/dpdx5/html/Frames/A-F/Cysticercosis/body_Cysticercosis_serol1


this protein, T24H, has a sensitivity of 94% for detecting cases of cysticercosis with two or more viable cysts and a specificity of 98%

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC0000/


The question can one Cyst be located intraventricular in brain - and blood test shows negative ?

Or single cyst very rare are located intraventricular ?



Than you very much !



doctor
Answered by Dr. Dr. Erion Spaho (33 hours later)
Brief Answer:
The cysticercosis cyst may be solitary also.

Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome to the "Ask a Doctor" service.

I have read your question.

Intraventricular neurocysticercosis may be encountered as both, solitary cyst or multiple ones.

Blood tests result positive mainly in cases that the cyst or cysts have caused an inflammatory response locally and this happens if the parasite dies within the ventricles, it will generate an inflammatory reaction with local and generalized ventriculitis, which produces irreversible neurological damage, they may produce acute or chronic hydrocephalus.

So, it is possible to have an intraventricular cysticercosis cyst with negative blood testing in the initial phases.

The current antibody test of choice is an immunoblot assay using T. solium antigens on serum or CSF samples.

The performance of this test in patients with intraventricular disease has not been adequately studied, although the sensitivity is likely around 80% based on the analysis of small subgroups of patients in the original studies.

The best evaluation tool for neurocysticercosis is brain MRI with intravenous contrast, accompanied by antibody testing.

Hope you found the answer helpful.

Let me know if I can assist you further.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Dr. Erion Spaho (3 hours later)
Than you very much !

So what is the best thing that i can do if i have risk of cysticercosis ? - i and my family travel to XXXXXXX and have risk !

As you said intraventricular solitary cysticercus blood test would be negative !

What is the best way to avoid hydrocephalus from intraventricular cysts, ofcorse diagnostic
but you must understand that putting my child and wife into MRI with intravenous contrast would be too much
(for child unhealthy......and for wife and me)

So i should follow my family symptoms ? - and if some symptoms suspected then do MRI diagnostic !
and if i do in time - then i would avoid hydrocephalus from intraventricular cysts ( doing endoscopic surgery) in my family !

It would be logic algoritm - I think !!!!



As it said in literature :

- An enzyme-linked immunoblot transfer blot (EITB) assay can demonstrate serum or CSF anticysticercal antibodies. The findings in the serum are more sensitive than those in the CSF. The assay is highly specific for exposure to T solium. The sensitivity is high (94%) in patients with multiple lesions or extraparenchymal infection but may be as low as 28% in patients with a single parenchymal lesion. EITB assay findings may revert to negative after the cysticercus dies and are often negative in patients with only calcified lesions

- The sensitivity of ELISA using CSF is approximately 80%. False positive results may occur in patients with hydatid cysts, filariasis, tuberculous meningitis, or viral encephalitis. An active inflammatory response is likely to cause high titers; intraventricular cysts cause a low titer.

https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/215589-workup#showall

Although most patients suffering from NCC in Latin XXXXXXX and other endemic countries harbour several cysts in their brain, nearly two-thirds of the patients in XXXXXXX have only one degenerating cyst – the solitary cysticercus granuloma
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0000#fig1
doctor
Answered by Dr. Dr. Erion Spaho (22 hours later)
Brief Answer:
I would explain as follows.

Detailed Answer:
Hello again.

The best way to avoid cysticercosis-related problems is to prevent the infection.

To prevent cysticercosis, the following precautions should be taken:
Wash your hands with soap and warm water after using the toilet, changing diapers, and handling food
Teach children the importance of washing hands to prevent infection
Wash and peel all raw vegetables and fruits before eating
Use good food and water safety practices while traveling in developing countries such as:
Drink only bottled or boiled (1 minute) water or carbonated (bubbly) drinks in cans or bottles
Filter unsafe water through an “absolute 1 micron or less” filter AND dissolve iodine tablets in the filtered water; “absolute 1-micron” filters can be found in camping and outdoor supply stores.
Avoid porcine meat.

If in doubt for infection (if any neurological following a potential infection), a normal (without contrast ) MRI is sufficient for a correct understanding, followed by tests.

Hope this helps.

Feel free to ask if you have further questions.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Dr. Erion Spaho (2 hours later)
Thank you very much for good answer -

1. I can wait for intraventricular cysts symptoms before hydrocephalus - because there could be no symptoms at all.
Im a right ?
So the best is practice good hygiene !


2. I found publication about Taenia solium in Europe - As i understand lot of home pigs can carry Taenia solium cysts;
Please look on this publication fig 5

https://parasitesandvectors.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13071-019-3320-3#Sec14

The highest prevalences are found in Spain and Bulgaria (Fig. 5).

As i understand cysts can be found in Spain in 20 % home pigs - Am i right ?

And it is said that this cysts could be from another Taenia spp

Other Taenia spp. for which pigs can serve as intermediate hosts are T. hydatigena and T. asiatica. However, there is no proof that T. asiatica is present in Europe, so we assume the contribution of this Taenia species to be negligible [32,33,34]. In addition, the porcine cysticercosis findings that are reported in slaughterhouses may be T. hydatigena cases, as this is a common parasite in Europe, especially in sheep raising areas. Nevertheless, the main predilection sites of T. hydatigena differs from T. solium, so a meat inspector should be able to distinguish between T. hydatigena and T. solium cases



What is your opinion - is there so high T. solium cyst case in Europe home pigs ?
- or it is from other Taenia spp

Thank you very much


doctor
Answered by Dr. Dr. Erion Spaho (14 hours later)
Brief Answer:
I would explain as follows.

Detailed Answer:
Hello again.

1. If there is no reason to think about contamination and no symptoms, you should not undergo any diagnostic steps for now.

2. Since there is an increased prevalence in Spain and Bulgaria, but not corresponding with the same levels of the disease, we can say that is not only T. solium that causes the disease, other forms should exist too.

Hope this helps.

Take care.
Note: For further queries related to kidney problems Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
Answered by
Dr.
Dr. Dr. Erion Spaho

Neurologist, Surgical

Practicing since :2004

Answered : 4494 Questions

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Hello - I M Positive Person, I Like To Travel

Brief Answer: The cysticercosis cyst may be solitary also. Detailed Answer: Hello and welcome to the "Ask a Doctor" service. I have read your question. Intraventricular neurocysticercosis may be encountered as both, solitary cyst or multiple ones. Blood tests result positive mainly in cases that the cyst or cysts have caused an inflammatory response locally and this happens if the parasite dies within the ventricles, it will generate an inflammatory reaction with local and generalized ventriculitis, which produces irreversible neurological damage, they may produce acute or chronic hydrocephalus. So, it is possible to have an intraventricular cysticercosis cyst with negative blood testing in the initial phases. The current antibody test of choice is an immunoblot assay using T. solium antigens on serum or CSF samples. The performance of this test in patients with intraventricular disease has not been adequately studied, although the sensitivity is likely around 80% based on the analysis of small subgroups of patients in the original studies. The best evaluation tool for neurocysticercosis is brain MRI with intravenous contrast, accompanied by antibody testing. Hope you found the answer helpful. Let me know if I can assist you further.