Lacunar syndrome due to neurocysticercosis
F. Barinagarrementeria and O. H. Del Brutto
Clinics of Cerebrovascular Diseases, National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery of Mexico, Mexico City.
Seven patients with neurocysticercosis presented with a lacunar syndrome.
Four patients had sensorimotor stroke, two had pure motor hemiparesis, and
one had ataxic hemiparesis. In every patient, computed tomography or
magnetic resonance imaging or both showed a lacunar infarct that was
secondary to the occlusion of a terminal vessel affected by endarteritis
and was most commonly associated with cysticerci in the suprasellar
cistern. Diagnosis of neurocysticercosis was difficult on clinical grounds,
but proper integration of data from computed tomography and cerebrospinal
fluid analysis provided an accurate diagnosis in every case.
Neurocysticercosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of
young adults with a lacunar syndrome who come from areas of the world where
this disease is endemic.
