Various helminth species can invade the CNS. The most prominent are:
| Helminth | Disease |
| Cestodes: | |
| Echinococcus | Echinococcosis, hydatid disease |
| Taenia solium | Taeniasis |
| Cysticercus (larva) | Cysticercosis |
| Nematodes: | |
| Angiostrongylus | Eosinophilic meningitis |
| Strongyloides | Strongyloidiasis |
| Toxocara | Visceral larva migrans |
| Trichinella | Trichinosis |
| Trematodes: | |
| Schistosoma | Schistosomiasis |
Data from MJ Aminoff, DA Greenberg, RP Simon. Clinical Neurology. Stamford, CT: Appleton & Lange, 1996;37; and ML Cameron, DT Durack. Helminthic Infections. In WM Scheld, RJ Whitley, DT Durack (eds), Infections of the Central Nervous System. Philadelphia: Lippincott–Raven, 1997;845–878.
Adapted from: Goldstein MA and Harden CL. Infectious states. In: Ettinger AB and Devinsky O, eds. Managing epilepsy and co-existing disorders. Boston: Butterworth-Heinemann; 2002;83-133.
With permission from Elsevier (www.elsevier.com).
Reviewed By:
Steven C. Schachter, MD
on:
Monday, March 1, 2004
