Neurocysticercosis, familial cerebral cavernomas and intracranial calcifications: differential diagnosis for adequate management

Abstract

Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is an endemic disease and important public health problem in some areas of the World and epilepsy is the most common neurological manifestation. Multiple intracranial lesions, commonly calcified, are seen on cranial computed tomography (CT) in the chronic phase of the disease and considered one of the diagnostic criteria of the diagnosis. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the test that better depicts the different stages of the intracranial cysts but does not show clearly calcified lesions. Cerebral cavernous malformations (CCM), also known as cerebral cavernomas, are frequent vascular malformations of the brain, better demonstrated by MRI and have also epilepsy as the main form of clinical presentation. When occurring in the familial form, cerebral cavernomas typically present with multiple lesions throughout the brain and, very often, with foci of calcifications in the lesions when submitted to the CT imaging. In the countries, and geographic areas, where NCC is established as an endemic health problem and neuroimaging screening is done by CT scan, it will be important to consider the differential diagnosis between the two diseases due to the differences in adequate management.

Atypical radiological presentation of multiple cystic brain metastases from lung cancer simulating neurocysticercosis

“…On CT imaging, several BMs characteristically show calcifications, especially in the frontal lobe,18 and multiple intracranial calcified cysts are often seen in the chronic phase of NCC 19. In our case, the presence of calcifications in the first CT study could be misinterpreted as mature cysts (figure 1).…”

Analysis of 3.0 T1H-MRS Image Characteristics of Nasal Polyps

“…It can not only collect the single voxel during imaging, but also collect the multi voxel, and effectively control the accuracy and stability of the spectral baseline. 3.0T 1 H-MRS can effectively analyze the change characteristics of metabolites from both qualitative and quantitative perspectives, so as to analyze and judge the patient's condition [1][2][3][4][5] . MRS uses magnetic resonance phenomenon and chemical shift to define the molecular composition, which is noninvasive and can show the metabolite composition in brain tissue 6 .…”

“…Therefore, in the long-term growth process of nasal polyps, due to blocking the ostium of the sinuses or preventing the outflow of secretions from the ostium, it is easy to lead to the degeneration, necrosis or liquefaction of the inside of the sinuses or the polyps themselves due to bacterial infection, and finally form a purulent or mucopurulent abscess like substance. The creatine complex (Cr) contains creatine and phosphoric acid When the energy metabolism of creatine decreases, Cr increases, and the higher the peak value of Cr, the worse the metabolism of brain tissue; Lac is stored in the extracellular and intracellular space, mainly composed of two resonance peaks, which are also called double lines in medical circles; when TE is 288, the double peaks are upward, when TE is 144, the double peaks are downward [1][2][3][4][5][6][7] . In the healthy state, cells are mainly aerobic metabolism, Lac peak is trace or none; the growth block of nasal polyp tissue has an inhibitory effect on cell aerobic respiration, and glycolysis will be strengthened, so Lac peak is increased [6][7][8][9][10] .…”

Intraventricular Neurocysticercosis: A Case Report

“…Radiological examinations including X-ray examination, CT-Scan and MRI will resulting various image depending on the location and stage of the cyst, namely: (Zafar 2016;Gasparetto et al, 2016;Gripper and Welburn 2017).…”