Neurocysticercosis: treatment with albendazole and dextrochloropheniramine (preliminary report).

T h e c l i n i c a l v a r i a b i l i t y o f neu rocys t i ce rcos i s is d u e to a series of f ac to r s such as n u m b e r , l o c a t i o n , f o r m , d i m e n s i o n s a n d s tage of d e v e l o p m e n t of the p a r a s i t e , the n a t u r e of its a c t i on o n the o r g a n i s m a n d the ind iv idua l i m m u n o l o g i c a l r e s p o n s e of the hosu .4 ,6 . T h u s , d i a g n o s i s is very d i f f i c u l t , especial ly in no t highly e n d e m i c a r ea s or in r eg ions were l a b o r a t o r y s u p p o r t is l a c k i n g . A n o t h e r i m p o r t a n t f e a t u r e to be c o n s i d e r e d in the a p p r o a c h to neu rocys t i ce r cos i s is t he lack of a n a l t e r n a t i v e p r o g r a m o f a n t i p a r a s i t i c t r e a t m e n t . T h e h igh coas t of t r e a t m e n t wi th p r a z i q u a n t e l a n d t h e s i d e e f f e c t s ' o f c o r t i c o s t e r o i d s 5 a r e fac tors that h a v e led to the search for new t r e a t m e n t p r o g r a m s .