First case of human neurocoenurosis caused by Taenia serialis: A case report

Abstract

Human coenurosis is caused by the larval stages of Taenia species, mainly Taenia multiceps and Taenia serialis. T. multiceps has been reported to cause human central nervous system (CNS) infections, but no CNS case caused by T. serialis has been reported. The authors report the first case of human neurocoenurosis caused by T. serialis, which was confirmed by mitochondrial DNA analysis. A 38-year-old man presented with visual disturbance and headache, and subsequent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a ring-enhancing cystic lesion in the left occipital lobe. Biopsy was performed, and the resultant histopathological diagnosis was that of low-grade B-cell lymphoma. Chemotherapy was initiated, but a subsequent MRI showed increased ring enhancement. Due to the unexpected clinical course, a surgical resection of the lesion was performed. The lesion was completely removed. Pathological examination showed multiple scolices with hooklets, suckers, and numerous calcareous corpuscles. Therefore, the diagnosis of neurocysticercosis was made. However, mitochondrial DNA analysis showed that the disease was definitively coenurosis caused by T. serialis. Albendazole was administered, with no evidence of recurrence at 12 months following the operation. In this study, we demonstrate that T. serialis can cause CNS infection and that genetic analysis is recommended to establish a definitive diagnosis.

Modern Solutions for Ancient Pathogens: Direct Pathogen Sequencing for Diagnosis of Lepromatous Leprosy and Cerebral Coenurosis

“…Species-level diagnosis of the rarer parasitic infection T. serialis in the second case provides insights into disease etiology, as this organism has only once been reported as a cause of human neurocoenurosis [ 13 ], the usual reported cause being T. multiceps . T. multiceps and T. serialis larvae cannot reliably be distinguished morphologically, so it is possible that T. serialis causes a larger proportion of cases [ 14 ].…”

Development and evaluation of an immunochromatography-based point-of-care test kit for a rapid diagnosis of human cysticercosis

“…A total of 187 leftover serum samples, which had been stored at the Frozen Serum Bank, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Thailand and Department of Parasitology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan, were used for evaluation of the kit. Demographic information and diagnostic criteria relating to the T. solium cysticercosis patients ( n = 24) and one additional patient with Taenia serialis coenurosis ( Yamazawa et al, 2020 ), examined in the present study are presented in Table 1 . Cysticercosis was diagnosed in various ways ( Carpio et al, 2016 ; Garcia et al, 2014 ) including clinical signs, CT scan, MRI and ultrasonography, serological and histopathological examinations and/or molecular analysis ( Table 1 ; Supplementary Table 1).…”

Improved Dot-ELISA Assay Using Purified Sheep Coenurus cerebralis Antigenic Fractions for the Diagnosis of Zoonotic Coenurosis

“…Clinicians face significant issues when dealing with neurological cases for several reasons, including parasites, which can infect the central nervous system (CNS). Unspecific clinical features associated with the absence of specific diagnostic methods have exaggerated the problem (Varcasia et al, 2022;Yamazawa, 2020). One of these issues is coenurosis, a worldwide zoonotic parasitic infection with the larval stage (Coenurus) of Taenia multiceps, T. serialis, and T. brauni that occurs mainly in sheep, goats, horses, cattle, buffaloes, yaks, rodents, rabbits, and humans that act as intermediate hosts (IMH) for the adult worms which develop in the small intestine of some canines, causing taeniasis (Lotfy, 2020).…”

“…One of these issues is coenurosis, a worldwide zoonotic parasitic infection with the larval stage (Coenurus) of Taenia multiceps, T. serialis, and T. brauni that occurs mainly in sheep, goats, horses, cattle, buffaloes, yaks, rodents, rabbits, and humans that act as intermediate hosts (IMH) for the adult worms which develop in the small intestine of some canines, causing taeniasis (Lotfy, 2020). Taenia multiceps larvae (Coenurus cerebralis) have been thought to be the only ones capable of infecting the CNS, with only one incidence of C. serialis infection in the brain found in Iran (Rostami et al, 2013;Yamazawa, 2020). The definitive hosts are infected by eating raw or undercooked tissues infected with C. cerebralis cysts, which then develop into adult worms in the small intestine.…”