Neurocisticercose: incidência, diagnóstico e formas clínicas

[摘要] Cysticercosis of the nervous system is a tribute paid to underdevelopment. The tables of incidence show that although it is practically unknown in some countries, it represents a curse to the less fortunate habitants of Asia, Africa and Latin America. The Latin American countries pay a heavy toll; known statistics show a ponderous incidence in Mexico, Chile, Peru and Brasil. The statistics referring to the States of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, where a rather thorough study of the problem has been made through the past years, portray the seriousness of the problem. Autopsy studies show an incidence of 0.12 to 1.10 percent in general hospitals, and of 0.40 to 3.60 percent in neuropsychiatric hospitals. In the Department of Neurology of the University of São Paulo School of Medicine, the incidence ranged from 2.90 to 3.39 percent in ward patients, and from 0.31 to 0.55 percent in out-patients. This Department had 41,328 patients from 2-14-1945 to 8-31-1961, of which 4,900 were ward patients. A total of 276 cases of neurocysticercosis was observed. A correlation between the incidence of neurocysticercosis and hygienic-social conditions is made evident by the fact that only one fourth of our patients came from large cities, while the remaining came from the hinterland, where living conditions are notedly worse. The differences in incidence regarding to sex and race were only apparent.