Thinking outside tuberculosis: A case of widespread active disseminated cysticercosis

Abstract

A rare case of widespread disseminated cysticercosis was identified in a 32-year-old female patient from the Eastern Cape province, South Africa. Initially, she displayed generalised nonspecific symptoms, leading to a misinterpretation of disseminated tuberculosis (TB). However, further radiological, haematological and pathological investigations revealed extensive dissemination of cysticercosis. Contribution: Disseminated cysticercosis (DC) is a rare condition that can mimic symptoms of other diseases, including tuberculosis, highlighting the importance of considering it in endemic areas.

Keywords

• active disseminated cysticercosis
• disseminated tuberculosis
• multiorgan parasitic infection
• breast cysticercosis
• neurocysticercosis
• radiological investigations
• immunocompromised
• antihelminthics.