Short course of albendazole therapy for neurocysticercosis: A prospective randomized trial comparing three days, eight days and the control group without albendazole

ABSTRACT: Antihelminthic therapy with albendazole for parenchymal cerebral cysticercosis, despite its widespread acceptance, is still the subject of controversy. In this prospective, randomized clinical trial, we compared the effectiveness of two regimens of albendazole therapy for neurocysticercosis against each other and against symptomatic therapy alone. A first group (27 patients) received albendazole for 3 days, a second group (27 patients) received albendazole for 8 days, and a third group (29 patients) received only symptomatic treatment. Effectiveness of albendazole was 85.8% with no difference between the 3 and 8-day groups of treatment. Improvement of the patients in the control group was 34.4%. Complete resolution of cysts was obtained in 77.7% of the patients who received albendazole. Two years after therapy, there was no difference in the number of patients free of seizures, when comparing the three groups of treatment. The ultra-short course of treatment with albendazole for 3 days was effective in our patients. Therapy with albendazole for 8 days did not provide additional benefits.