Cerebral paragonimiasis. A report of forty-seven cases.

Abstract

<h3>Introduction</h3> In Far Eastern countries, particularly Japan, Korea, China and Taiwan (Formosa), and the Philippines, the habit of eating raw crabs and other crustaceans is responsible for an endemic infection with the lung fluke Paragonimus westermani. The fluke, after leaving the cyst, pierces the intestinal wall to enter the abdominal cavity, whence it may perforate the diaphragm and penetrate the lung, either becoming encysted there or being carried to other organs. As a result of the pulmonary infection, the commonest symptom is hemoptysis. This is so common in these eastern countries that it is considered lightly. The diagnosis may be made in patients with a chronic cough and rusty-brown expectoration by a demonstration of the ova in the sputum. Paragonimus infection of the brain, first reported by Otani,¹⁰of Japan, in 1887, is a frequent manifestation of the disease. Of 201 cases exhibiting extrapulmonary involvement, 93 had signs