Sparganosis of the central nervous system is an uncommon parasitic zoonosis caused by the migrating larva of the genus Spirometra mansonoides. The patient, a 53-year-old woman, complained of focal involuntary movement involving the right face and headache. Three months after first admission, paraparesis developed. Serial MRI revealed cerebral and spinal lesions and micro-ELISA test disclosed positive reaction to sparganus antigen.
Central Nervous System ; Dyskinesias ; Female ; Headache ; Humans ; Larva ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Aged ; Paraparesis ; Sparganosis* ; Spinal Cord* ; Spirometra

A 67-year-old woman with brainstem abscess was cured by nonsurgical treatment. The clinical features and MRI findings allowed the presumptive diagnosis to be made. The abscess was located in the left midbrain part of brainstem; left ptosis and partial ophthalmoplegia with ellipticaI pupil. Massive antibiotic therapy was provided and clinical improvement was resulted. The authors reviewed reported cases and discussion was presented.
Abscess* ; Aged ; Brain Stem* ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Mesencephalon ; Ophthalmoplegia ; Pupil

Pure sensory stroke (PSS), first described by Fisher in 1965, is a clinical condition characterized by numbness and paresthesia of the face, arm and trunk on one side, in absence of other neurologic deficit. PSS could arise anywhere along the sensory system from the cerebral cortex to the medulla. The authors experienced 5 patients with PSS: one patient had a hemorrhage on the thalamocortical pathway including the internal capsule and the corona radiata. Two another had thalarnic lesions. The fourth had a pontine hemorrhage with perioral onionpeel distributed face sensor- involvement. And the last had a pontine lacune involving crossed trigeminothalamic tract and lateral spinothalamic tract.
Arm ; Cerebral Cortex ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hypesthesia ; Internal Capsule ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Paresthesia ; Spinothalamic Tracts ; Stroke*