AN UNSUSUAL CASE OF ISOLATED EXTRAOCULAR MYOCYSTICERCOSIS: MASQUERADING AS A SUPERIOR RECTUS MUSCLE ABSCESS

Abstract

Human cysticercosis is caused by the larval form of the swine tapeworm Taenia solium.It can affect the central nervous system, the eye, skeletal muscles and subcutaneous tissues. In the orbit, cysticercosis can lodge into any extraocular muscle or other adnexal structures and are usually found as part of a generalized systemic infestation and very rarely seen with isolated infestation of a single extraocular muscle.Hence, sometimes as it was in our case,it is very difficult to differentiate an isolated extraocular muscle cysticercosis from extraocular muscle abscess or lymphoma. So,we, at our institute report a rare and unusual case of isolated right superior rectus muscle cysticercosis which presented with ptosis and painless swelling of the right upper eyelid, which was in fact discovered later masquerading as a superior rectus abscess.