Unusual Presentations of Soft Tissue Cysticercosis in Children Causing Diagnostic Dilemma: Report of Two Cases of Soft Tissue Cysticercosis

Abstract

Cysticercosis is a common disease in tropical countries, caused by encysted larvae of the tapeworm Taenia solium. Cysticerci can affect any tissue of the body, most common being the brain, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), skeletal muscle, subcutaneous tissue, or eye. The clinical features of cysticercosis depend on organ involved, number and site of lesions within the organ of involvement and associated inflammation or scarring. Cysticerci have tropism for nervous system. Isolated cysticercosis without involving CNS is thought to be rare. Isolated muscular cysticercosis, can present either with myalgia, pseudo-tumor or abscess and rarely pseudohypertrophy. Patients with muscular cysticercosis are usually asymptomatic. We describe two children with extra CNS cysticercosis who were misdiagnosed initially due to their atypical presentation.

Keywords

• anti-helminthic
• extra-cns cysticercosis
• isolated muscular cysticercosis