OBJECTIVETo confirm diagnosis of a special case with chief complaints of abdominal pain and dyskinesia of lower extremities.

METHODSThe clinical symptoms, signs, MRI, pathological findings and the results of blood test for microfilaria were analyzed.

RESULTSThe patient was a 6-year old girl who had abdominal pain for 10 days dyskinesia of lower extremities for 6 days accompanied by difficulty in urination and defecation. There was tenderness on T7-9 spinous process, sensory dullness below the umbilicus. Babinski's and Oppenheim's sign were bilaterally positive, and ankle clonus was positive. MRI showed space occupying change in the vertebral canal at T7-9 level. The mass of 2 cm x 1 cm x 1 cm size was removed by surgical operation and histopathological study showed obvious fibrous tissue proliferation accompanied by eosinophil, lymphocyte and neutrophil infiltration around a worm-like structure. Night time blood test performed at 23:00 confirmed the presence of microfilaria.

CONCLUSIONThe diagnosis of filariae in vertebral canal could be confirmed.

Animals ; Child ; Female ; Filariasis ; blood ; cerebrospinal fluid ; complications ; Filarioidea ; Humans ; Spinal Canal ; parasitology ; pathology ; Spinal Diseases ; etiology ; parasitology

Although cysticercosis is the most common parasitic disease affecting the central nervous system, spinal cysticercosis is rare. A rare form of spinal cysticercosis involving the whole spinal canal is presented. A 45-year-old Korean male had a history of intracranial cysticercosis and showed progressive paraparesis. Spinal magnetic resonance scan showed multiple cysts compressing the spinal cord from C1 to L1. Three different levels (C1-2, T1-3, and T11-L1) required operation. Histopathological examination confirmed cysticercosis. The patient improved markedly after surgery.
Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neurocysticercosis/diagnosis/*pathology/surgery ; Spinal Canal/*parasitology ; Treatment Outcome