Use of radiological imaging and serology by Western Blot for the diagnosis of neurocysticercosis in a hospital in northern Peru

Abstract

Background: Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is a parasitic zoonosis of the central nervous system caused by the tapeworm Taenia solium, which affects developing countries with poor basic sanitation. Objective: To describe the use and concordance of radiological tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and western blot (WB) serology in the diagnosis of NCC in a hospital in northern Peru. Material and Methods: Retrospective observational study. The medical history was the unit of analysis. The cases were searched in the Epidemiology office using the ICD-10-B69 and registry of the Laboratory of Parasitology, Metaxenics and Zoonoses of the same hospital, in the period from 2015 to 2017. Results: 67 medicales records were studied, which complied with the absolute diagnostic criteria for NCC. The patients were men in 55.2% and had a mean age of 40.2 (± 17.8) years. 35.9% had a positive result by WB (19/39), cystic lesions with scolex were observed in 25.4% of the CT and in 29.6 of the MRI. The concordance observed between the serological test with CT and MRI was poor, with (Kappa = 0.073, 95% CI: 0.053 - 1.084) and (Kappa = 0.112, 95% CI: 0.092 - 1.092) and a percentage of agreement of 42.0% and 45.7% respectively. Conclusions: Differentiated use and poor concordance between the WB serological test and radiological imaging are performed in patients with a diagnosis of neurocysticercosis in the studied population.