Lumbosacral Radiculopathy as the Clinical Presentation of Neurocysticercosis

A 31-year-old woman from Ecuador, living in Spain since 2003, presented to a hospital in Nov 2017 complaining of disabling low back pain, which radiated into buttocks and lateral thighs, for 6 weeks. Spinal magnetic resonance image (MRI) demonstrated multiple intradural extramedullary cysts, the largest behind the L3 vertebral body, displacing cauda equina roots. With the suspicion of spinal neurocysticercosis, a diagnostic work-up was completed. Results were positive for cysticercosis serology, using a commercial ELISA to detect serum IgG antibodies to Taenia solium antigens, and also for the presence of T. solium HP10 antigen in serum, identified with a monoclonal antibody-based ELISA. The present report is an example that medical therapy with antiparasitic agents given concomitantly with corticosteroids may be successful for subarachnoid disease of the spine. Nevertheless, combination with surgical treatment could be necessary in some cases.