Cerebral Cysticercosis as a Common Cause of Epilepsy in Gurkhas in Hong Kong

• Published in: Journal of the Royal Army Medical Corps Vol. 136; no. 3; pp. 146 - 149
• Main Author: Heap, B J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Regimental Headquarters RAMC 01-10-1990
• Subjects: Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Brain Diseases - diagnosis; Brain Diseases - drug therapy; Brain Diseases - parasitology; Cysticercosis - diagnosis; Cysticercosis - drug therapy; Cysticercosis - parasitology; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Epilepsy - etiology; Hong Kong; Humans; Infectious diseases; Medical sciences; Military Personnel; Nepal - ethnology; Parasitic diseases; Praziquantel - administration & dosage; Praziquantel - therapeutic use; Prospective Studies; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Hong Kong; Asia; Nepal; Human; Cysticercosis; Epilepsy; Serology; Parasitosis; Helminthiasis; Epidemiology; Ethnic group; Cestod disease; Infection; Concomitant disease; Tomography; Diagnosis
• ISSN: 0035-8665; 2052-0468
• DOI: 10.1136/jramc-136-03-04

A prospective study of Nepalese adults (Gurkhas) based in Hong Kong who presented with adult-onset epileptiform seizures determined that cerebral cysticercosis was causative in 7 out of 8 cases. The relative roles of specific cysticercal serology and computerised axial tomography in diagnosis are discussed. Serum IgE levels were found to be raised in all patients with cerebral cysticercosis in the absence of other parasitic infection and reverted to normal after the patients were treated with praziquantel. Evidence suggests that the Gurkhas acquired their cysticercal infections in Nepal.