Neurocysticercosis: Changes After 25 Years of Medical Therapy

Abstract

I read with interest the paper entitled Neurocysticercosis: Changes after 25 years of Medical Therapy published by Sotelo and Diaz-Olavarrieta in Arch Med Res (2010; 41:62e63). In this paper the authors state that ‘‘the results of the first medical treatment for neurocysticercosis were published 25 years ago’’ (1). It seems that this may be a case of plagiarism because there was a transgression of the intellectual property of Manuel Chavarria (a veterinarian) and Clemente Robles (a neurosurgeon) about the results published in the medical journal Salud Publica de Mexico (Epoca V. Volume XXI, number 5: 603e618, SeptembereOctober 1979) entitled: Presentation of a clinical case of cerebral cysticercosis treated medically with a novel drug: Praziquantel (2) that contains the original source and basis for the treatment including doses and duration of the treatment that were used in the paper of Sotelo entitled: Therapy of parenchymal brain cysticercosis with praziquantel (N Engl J Med 1984;310:1001e1007) published by Sotelo, Escobedo, Rodriguez-Carbajal, Torres, and RubioDonnadieu (3). In this study, cited as an original paper, the real original source was clearly omitted (2). In the present paper published in Archives of Medical Research, Sotelo enhances himself as the developer of the medical treatment for neurocysticercosis. In a strict sense, the celebration should be because of the first 30 years of the medical treatment and not the 25 years mentioned by Sotelo. Manuel Chavarria was a brilliant veterinarian and Professor of Parasitology at the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM) and interested in the treatment of parasitic diseases. Clemente Robles was a renowned neurosurgeon and founder of the service of Neurology and Neurosurgery at the Hospital General de Mexico since 1937.