Cysticercosis

Cysticercosis is a tissue infection caused by larval tapeworm cysts, most often from Taenia solium. When cysts lodge in the brain or spinal cord, the disease is called neurocysticercosis.

Taenia solium: Taenia solium is a tapeworm whose larvae can form cysts in human tissues. Its eggs cause most human cysticercosis.
Magnetic resonance imaging: Magnetic resonance imaging uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce detailed images of internal structures. It helps locate and characterize cysts in the brain and spinal cord.
Cestoda: Cestoda is the class of parasitic flatworms commonly known as tapeworms. Cysticercosis is caused by the larval stage of a cestode.
Echinococcosis: Echinococcosis is disease caused by larval Echinococcus tapeworms, which form hydatid cysts in organs. It also causes tissue cysts but involves different tapeworms and clinical management.
Pork tapeworm: The pork tapeworm is Taenia solium, a parasite whose adult stage inhabits the human intestine. Humans carrying adult worms shed the eggs that can infect other people.
Taeniasis: Taeniasis is intestinal infection by adult tapeworms, including Taenia solium. Cysticercosis follows ingestion of eggs; taeniasis follows ingestion of larval cysts in pork.
Computed tomography: Computed tomography uses X-rays and computation to create cross-sectional images of the body. Calcified brain lesions are often especially visible on CT scans.
Taeniidae: Taeniidae is a family of tapeworms that includes Taenia species. Taenia solium belongs to this family of tissue-infecting parasites.
Toxoplasmosis: Toxoplasmosis is infection with the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii. Brain lesions from toxoplasmosis can resemble neurocysticercosis on imaging.
Pork: Pork is meat from domestic pigs. Undercooked pork containing larval cysts can cause intestinal taeniasis, not cysticercosis directly.

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