Large Cysticercus in the Cerebellopontine Angle: Case Report

Intracranial cysticercosis is the most common parasitic infection 1. Human cysticercosis is caused by ingestion of food contaminated with the ova of Taenia solium. Gastric juices dissolve the outer shell of the ova to release the primary larvae or oncospheres which penetrate the mucosa and enter the bloodstream. They can lodge in any tissue but have predilection for brain. These cysts may lodge in the subarachnoid space and become multilocular resembling a cluster of grapes. This is known as racemose form and may attain larger size.2 It predominantly involves cerebral parenchyma and ventricles.1,2 Its location in the cerebellopontine angle is rare in India,3 and because of its large size and mistaken diagnosis of tubercular arachnoiditis, it is being reported.