Ocular cysticercosis in a 32-year-old man in Abuja: ultrasonic features as an aid in diagnosis

Abstract

OE Babalola,1 A Adu,2 AO Akano3 1Bingham University, New Karu, Nassarawa State, 2Department of Ophthalmology, Rachel Eye Center, Garki Phase II, 3Department of Radiology, National Hospital, Abuja, Nigeria Abstract: We report the case of a 32-year-old man suffering from intraocular cysticercosis, with special emphasis on the use of B-scan ultrasound in the diagnosis and management of the condition. An 8000 B-Scan Scanmate was used to obtain the ultrasound images. The patient had worked on a pig farm a few years before presentation. He presented with shadows seen in the right eye. Binocular indirect ophthalmoscopy revealed that he had a choroidal detachment in the right eye inferotemporally. B-scan ultrasound revealed a subretinal subchoroidal cyst with a thick wall containing well defined intracystic echogenic entities representing scolices, and an associated retinal detachment. These findings appear to be pathognomonic. Excision of the cyst through a trans-scleral approach revealed a yellowish serous fluid, with scolices of cysticercus later confirmed histologically. B-scan ultrasound is extremely useful in the diagnosis of ocular cysticercosis and the findings can be pathognomonic. Keywords: ocular cysticercosis, B-scan ultrasound, Nigeria