Abstract
We describe a farmer who presented with a clinical picture of a transverse thoracic myelitis. MRI showed inflammatory lesions in brain and thoracic spinal cord. Toxocariasis was suspected because of eosinophilia in blood and cerebrospinal fluid, and this diagnosis was confirmed immunologically. He was successfully treated with antihelminthics in combination with corticosteroids. Neurotoxocariasis is rare and diagnosis can be difficult because of the different and atypical clinical manifestations. It should be considered in every case of central neurological syndrome associated with eosinophilia.
Highlights
Toxocariasis is a parasitic zoonosis caused by larvae of Toxocara canis or Toxocara cati
A diagnosis of Toxocara encephalomyelitis was made, and he was further treated with oral albendazole 400 mg q12h (11 mg/kg body weight) for 16 days and oral methylprednisolone starting with 64 mg q24h and slowly tapering off the dosage
Schmutzhard, “Eosinophilic myelitis, a souvenir from South East Asia,” Practical Neurology, vol 7, no. 1, pp. 48–51, 2007. We present this case because of the unusual combination of spinal cord and cerebral lesions in toxocariasis
Summary
Toxocariasis is a parasitic zoonosis caused by larvae of Toxocara canis or Toxocara cati. These nematodes normally live in the small intestine of domestic dogs and cats, their definitive hosts. Most human infections are thought to be subclinical or self-limited, and clinical infections usually affect young children and manifest most commonly with pulmonary or hepatic disease. Clinical involvement of the central nervous system is rare and probably occurs as a result of hematogenous dissemination [1, 2]
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