Efficacy and safety of antiparasitic therapy for neurocysticercosis in rural Tanzania: a prospective cohort study

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  • D. Stelzle
  • C. Makasi
  • V. Schmidt
  • C. Trevisan
  • I. Van Damme
  • C. Ruether
  • P. Dorny
  • Magnussen, Pascal
  • G. Zulu
  • K. E. Mwape
  • E. Bottieau
  • C. Prazeres da Costa
  • U. F. Prodjinotho
  • H. Carabin
  • E. Jackson
  • A. Fleury
  • S. Gabriel
  • B. J. Ngowi
  • A. S. Winkler

PurposeNeurocysticercosis is common in regions endemic for Taenia solium. Active-stage neurocysticercosis can be treated with antiparasitic medication, but so far no study on efficacy and safety has been conducted in Africa.MethodsWe conducted a prospective cohort study on treatment of neurocysticercosis in Tanzania between August 2018 and January 2022. Patients were initially treated with albendazole (15 mg/kg/d) for 10 days and followed up for 6 months. Additionally in July 2021, all participants who then still had cysts were offered a combination therapy consisting of albendazole (15 mg/kg/d) and praziquantel (50 mg/kg/d). Antiparasitic treatment was accompanied by corticosteroid medication and anti-seizure medication if the patient had experienced epileptic seizures before treatment.ResultsSixty-three patients were recruited for this study, of whom 17 had a complete follow-up after albendazole monotherapy. These patients had a total of 138 cysts at baseline, of which 58 (42%) had disappeared or calcified by the end of follow-up. The median cyst reduction was 40% (interquartile range 11-63%). Frequency of epileptic seizures reduced considerably (p < 0.001). Three patients had all active cysts resolved or calcified and of the remaining 14, eight received the combination therapy which resolved 63 of 66 cysts (95%). Adverse events were infrequent and mild to moderate during both treatment cycles.ConclusionCyst resolution was unsatisfactory with albendazole monotherapy but was very high when it was followed by a combination of albendazole and praziquantel.

Original languageEnglish
JournalInfection
Volume51
Pages (from-to)1127-1139
Number of pages13
ISSN0300-8126
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2023

    Research areas

  • Taenia solium, Neurocysticercosis, Neglected tropical diseases, Antiparasitic medication, Albendazole, Praziquantel, SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA, DOUBLE-BLIND, PRAZIQUANTEL, ALBENDAZOLE, PREVALENCE, CYSTICERCOSIS, MORBIDITY, EPILEPSY

ID: 347290821