Angiostrongyliasis, caused by Angiostrongylus cantonensis infection, is a food-borne parasitic disease. Its larvae evoke eosinophilic inflammation in the central nervous system, but can also cause pathological changes in the eyes. Among ocular angiostrongyliasis cases, the incidence of optic neuritis is low and only few sporadic reports exist. Some patients with optic neuritis developed obvious hypopsia or even vision loss, which would seriously influence the quality of life of patients. Prompt treatment of optic neuritis caused by A. cantonensis is the key factor for minimizing the incidence of serious complications of this disease. In this review, we first provide a comprehensive overview of ocular angiostrongyliasis, and then focus on the clinical features of optic neuritis caused by A. cantonensis.
Angiostrongylus cantonensis/*isolation & purification ; Animals ; Asia/epidemiology ; Eye Diseases/*epidemiology/*parasitology/pathology ; Humans ; Incidence ; Optic Neuritis/*epidemiology/*parasitology/pathology ; Strongylida Infections/*epidemiology/*parasitology/pathology

Eosinophilic meningitis, caused by the nematode Angiostrongylus cantonensis, is prevalent in northeastern Thailand, most commonly in adults. Data regarding clinical manifestations of this condition in children is limited and may be different those in adults. A chart review was done on 19 eosinophilic meningitis patients aged less than 15 years in Srinagarind Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Thailand. Clinical manifestations and outcomes were reported using descriptive statistics. All patients had presented with severe headache. Most patients were males, had fever, nausea or vomiting, stiffness of the neck, and a history of snail ingestion. Six patients had papilledema or cranial nerve palsies. It was shown that the clinical manifestations of eosinophilic meningitis due to A. cantonensis in children are different from those in adult patients. Fever, nausea, vomiting, hepatomegaly, neck stiffness, and cranial nerve palsies were all more common in children than in adults.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Angiostrongylus cantonensis/*isolation & purification ; Animals ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Eosinophilia/complications/etiology/*pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Meningitis/complications/etiology/*pathology ; Middle Aged ; Patient Outcome Assessment ; Strongylida Infections/parasitology/*pathology ; Thailand ; Young Adult