Parasitic infection of the human brain. How parasites enter the human brain

Infection is characterized incubation period, which is different for each worm:

  • Pork tapeworm makes itself felt in 5-7 years.
  • Echinococcus develops slowly. After about six months or a year, the worm forms an echinococcal bladder with a diameter of only 1 cm in the human head. It increases annually by several centimeters.
  • Alveococcus forms cysts from small blisters and spreads throughout the body like cancerous tumor. It lasts for a long time - 5-15 years.
  • Ascaris grows and develops rapidly, so the patient will feel its penetration into the brain in a few months.

A separate group is made up of dirofilaria (nematodes), whose eggs are carried by mosquitoes. They are localized exclusively under the skin, for example, on the head.

For worms, a person can be either an intermediate host (or one of them), or a final one.

For example, tapeworm and roundworm use the human body as a reservoir for development and reproduction. Echinococcus and alveococcus are inside us only in the stage of a larva - Finns or a bubble, inside of which there is a scolex (a worm's head with hooks and suckers). For development into a full-fledged individual, a person is not suitable for these worms.

But the pork chain makes no difference. Under the right circumstances, it can use the human body as a place for the development of larvae (a dead end, since further development tapering into an adult is impossible in this case).

Pork tapeworm

  • Stroking the dog and not washing his hands.
  • Playing with a rabbit and not washing your hands.
  • By eating poorly heat-treated infected pork or rabbit meat.

Echinococcus and Alveococcus

Echinococcus provokes the disease echinococcosis, alveococcus - alveococcosis. Both are asymptomatic for a long time and can be detected during a routine examination or during an MRI.

Ascaris

Its typical habitat is the human intestine. Here adult worms breed, giving hundreds of eggs cyclically. Life cycle ascaris is associated with migration through the systemic circulation to various organs - the heart, lungs, liver and bile ducts. The worm can enter the brain in three ways:

  • From the inferior vena cava through the superior vena cava to the brachiocephalic and then to the brain.
  • Through the pharyngeal openings of the auditory tubes, the middle and inner ear, then through the pyramids temporal bones directly to the brain.
  • through the nasopharynx and paranasal sinuses nose, then through the perforated plate of the brain.

Such worms in the brain are not very common. Usually they are found during operations with completely different pathologies.

Dirofilaria

The movement of these worms occurs inside the epidermis, and they are localized not only on the head. When the worm does not move, a painful swelling forms under the skin. If you comb it or open it, you can extract a live worm from there.

Diseases

Worms in the brain are a dangerous condition, their uncontrolled reproduction can be fatal for various reasons:

  • Due to intoxication of the body with waste products.
  • Due to the destruction of the brain - compression, impaired circulation of the cerebrospinal fluid.
  • Due to the occurrence of calcifications at the site of the dead Finn Echincoccus and foci of inflammation around them.
  • Due to a stroke as a result of rupture of cerebral vessels.

Pork tapeworm, echinococcus, alveococcus and ascrida cause severe diseases with various symptoms.

Neurocysticercosis

The Finns of the pork tapeworm are usually localized on the surface of the cerebral cortex, they also like the pia mater, the base of the brain and the ventricles - here they are in free swimming. Because of the cysticerci, there is constant irritation of the nerve endings of the brain, tissue compression occurs, and the circulation of cerebrospinal fluid (cerebrospinal fluid) is disturbed.

Distinguish single (cystic) and grape-shaped (racemous) neurocysticercosis. cystic variety the disease usually develops in the parenchyma or subarachnoid space, closer to the base of the brain, occurs in the cavity of the ventricles, but this is a rather rare occurrence. Racemose neurocysticercosis occurs in the subarachnoid space at the base of the skull.

Symptoms are different in each case.

Subarachnoid form

The patient is disturbed headache, photophobia, nausea, neck muscle tension. Vomiting often occurs, intracranial pressure rises, eyes begin to hurt, vision deteriorates. All of these symptoms are characteristic of meningoenfecalitis.

Intraventricular neurocysticercosis

Also characterized by increased intracranial pressure. This is the main symptom of this form of neurocysticercosis. There is a paroxysmal and a sharp deterioration in the condition.

No less characteristic is Bruns syndrome, which includes the following set of symptoms:

  • Severe dizziness up to a fall and loss of consciousness.
  • Vomiting, blanching of the skin, sweating.
  • Slow heart rate.
  • Sharp headache.

Often there are problems with breathing. Sick people are forced to keep their neck in one position so as not to provoke a worsening of the condition.

Parenchymal and spinal neurocysticercosis

In the parenchymal form of the disease, all signs of epilepsy, tremor, paresis, impaired speech and coordination of movements, as well as other symptoms of impaired brain activity are observed.

Spinal cysticercosis occurs in 1 case out of 100. The cervical and thoracic spine, causing paresis of the extremities, dysfunction of urination and defecation, girdle pain.

Cysticercosis of the eye and asymptomatic form

The development of Finn tapeworm in the eyeballs causes rather specific symptoms in the form of a sensation of a foreign body, displacement of the eyeball relative to its axis, and chronic conjunctivitis.

The asymptomatic form of neurocysticercosis accounts for almost 25% of the total number of patients. Detected during examination of other pathologies.

Echinococcosis

The main part of Finn echinococcus and alveococcus settles and fixes in the liver, but others continue to travel with the bloodstream through the human body, in certain cases entering the brain.

  • Vomiting, nausea.
  • Headaches that cannot be relieved with pills.
  • Vision problems.
  • Violation of coordination of movements.
  • Vertigo ending in fainting.
  • Pain on moving the eyeballs.

Another group of symptoms indicates a violation of the mental and mental state of the patient. It depends on the localization of the echinococcal bladder. The following violations often occur:

  • Memory problems.
  • Hysteria, psychosis, hallucinations.
  • Delusional states.
  • Dementia.
  • The patient loses the ability to write and read, his speech is disturbed.
  • In some cases, sensation in the limbs disappears.

Under certain circumstances, the echinococcal bladder can burst (fall from a height, blow to the skull), then secondary infection will occur and acute inflammation brain, which, as a rule, ends in death in 99% of cases.

Alveococcosis

Symptoms of alveococcosis are similar to those of echinococcosis, only the disease develops much faster. Brain damage is secondary and is a consequence of the spread of liver alveococcosis.

Ascaris in the brain

  • In the frontal lobes: loss of orientation in space and time, the patient does not realize what is happening to him, does not control his behavior.
  • In the right hemisphere: the patient's intellect decreases, animal instincts prevail.
  • In the left hemisphere: speech is difficult or the patient replaces some words with others and does not notice it.

dirofilariasis

The symptomatology of this helminthiasis characterizes a strong allergic reaction for helminth excretion:

  • Nausea, urge to vomit.
  • Weakness.
  • Increase in body temperature.
  • Pain at the site of the localization of a large number of worms, which radiates along the course of the nerves.

A characteristic symptom is the feeling of the worm moving under the skin or in the eyeballs (approximately 50% of infections).

In addition to the diseases described, the human brain can be affected by toxocara larvae, causing toxocariasis, as well as:

  • Amoeba (Nigeria Fowler) causes amoebiasis, similar in symptoms to meningoencephalitis.
  • Toxoplasmosis, which causes a serious disease toxoplasmosis, among the symptoms of which is a radical change in human behavior.

Roundworms in the human head cause great harm, provoking multiple symptoms, which often confuse not only patients, but also specialists.

Amoeba

These are the simplest microorganisms that can be found anywhere. As a source of damage to the human brain, they drew attention in the 60s of the XX century. It happened in America. The amoeba Naegleria fowleri was responsible for the deaths. It enters the human brain directly through the nose while swimming in water (primary amebiatic meningoencephalitis).

The main criterion for the presence of this amoeba is a warm climate or established very hot weather.

Toxoplasma

  • Contact with cat feces.
  • Poor cooking / frying of meat.
  • Contact with animals - carriers of toxoplasmosis.
  • Transmission of the disease from relatives (parents).

Diseases

Most often, worms in the head cause diseases such as cysticercosis, echinococcosis and alveococcosis.

Cysticercosis

The percentage of pork tapeworm eggs (and their further development) entering the brain is approximately 80.

Cysticercosis is of two types - grape-shaped and cystic. In the first case, clusters of fluid-filled blisters (cysticercus) form in the human brain. Localization - base of the skull, subarachnoid space. In the second case, there are separate, unrelated cysticerci localized in the parenchyma and subarachnoid space at the level of the base of the brain, as well as the cavity of the cerebral ventricles.

Other symptoms include:

  • Intracranial hypertension (high intracranial pressure).
  • neurotic syndrome.
  • hallucinations.
  • Clouding of consciousness up to visual hallucinations.
  • Bruns' syndrome (the cysticercus is located in the IV ventricle).

Diagnostics

Includes glucocorticoids (3 days for anthelmintic therapy) and praziquantel. Additionally, albendozol can be prescribed for a long period.

Taking glucocorticoids reduces inflammation in the brain, reduces perifocal edema.

In some cases, surgery is prescribed.

The prognosis for the cystic form of cysticercosis is favorable, for the pimple-shaped form it is worse, there is a possibility of death.

Echinococcosis and alveococcosis

Both diseases are caused by echinococcal tapeworm, the first - Echinococcus granulosus, the second - Echinococcus multilocularis. Man for Echinococcus granulosus is just an intermediate host. Infection with Echinococcus multilocularis is extremely rare. In this case, the person becomes the ultimate owner.

Ordinary echinococcosis is otherwise called single-chamber, and alveococcosis is multi-chamber. The frequency of Echinococcus granulosus eggs entering the human brain is no more than 3% of the total number of cases. In addition to eating infected meat and not following the rules of personal hygiene, it is believed that eggs of the pork tapeworm can be inhaled along with contaminated air.

Symptoms

The course of the disease is long. The neoplasm grows slowly, increasing by no more than 1 cm per year.

Diagnosis and treatment

Diagnosis is difficult in echinococcosis. ELISA is only 85% accurate. The most accurate can be considered the study of ultrasound and / or MRI of the liver and other internal organs. If echinococci are found there, this makes it possible to make an accurate diagnosis of craniocerebral pathology.

With single-chamber echinococcosis, treatment is mainly surgical. 99% of patients seek medical help only when the blisters grow to a gigantic size. If intracranial pressure is not elevated, praziquantel is prescribed. With significant intracranial hypertension, the operation is performed according to the indications of 6 without preliminary preparation soon after the diagnosis is established.

In the United States, Hilary Clark stood out especially in this field. True, this author of many pseudo-medical books never received recognition, and even she was repeatedly fined and deprived of her license for medical activity for life.

Worm eggs are almost everywhere. They can retain all properties for several years until they get into a favorable habitat. They penetrate the human body in various ways, among which experts distinguish:

  • unwashed fruits, herbs or vegetables;
  • untreated tap water;
  • Pets;
  • poorly washed hands;
  • earth and sand in the sandbox;
  • raw meat and fish;
  • products that have undergone insufficient heat treatment.

To other organs, including the brain, helminths can spread in different ways. Experts have established several ways to move worms to the brain:

  • through the venous circulation. Small helminths can be absorbed into the veins that are located in the intestines and move freely along with the blood. So they spread to other organs, including the brain;
  • through the respiratory organs. If the worms have entered the bronchi or lungs, they freely reach the brain through Airways. However, if the worm immediately got into the nasopharynx, it can independently move to the brain;
  • through the ears. Infection occurs if a person bathes and the larva enters his ear. There it quietly develops and migrates to the human brain, where it settles.

Important! As a rule, two types of worms penetrate into the human brain and freely conduct their vital activity: cysticerci and echinococci.

Cysticercosis: the first symptoms of infection and diagnosis

Cysticerci are tapeworms that form a blistering appearance of the disease. The larvae enter the human brain through the blood veins. They are successfully located in the upper part of the cerebral cortex and substantiate the Finns in the form of bubbles. Over time, the larva dies, and the Finn continues to exist, as a new formation. The dead larva begins to decompose, which causes inflammation in the brain.

The disease lasts for a long time and is accompanied by severe symptoms, among which doctors distinguish:

  • severe pain in the head, provoking vomiting;
  • when running, paralysis is observed;
  • epilepsy;
  • deterioration in the functionality of the nervous system;
  • mental disorder;
  • lethargy;
  • general malaise;
  • frequent depression.

High-quality therapy is achieved only by radical methods. The patient is always offered surgery. During the operation, the patient is removed worms, formed Finns, as well as additional consequences, such as cysts. As a rule, surgical intervention allows you to completely rid the body of helminths. Full recovery occurs quickly and does not recur.

  • thoroughly wash greens, vegetables and fruits;
  • purify or boil water;
  • wash hands thoroughly with soap before eating, after using the toilet and any contact with animals, as well as after coming home from the street;
  • regularly deworm pets;
  • observe the rules of personal hygiene;
  • eat quality products and subject them to complete heat treatment.

Simple rules can be supplemented with prophylactic administration of anthelmintic drugs. It is recommended to take special tablets 2 times a year. As a rule, doctors recommend Pirantel, Levamisole, Niclosamide, Chloxil and others. Before use, it is important to consult a doctor and carefully study the instructions. All these drugs are toxic, so they must be taken strictly for their intended purpose and according to the established dosage.

The most common diseases associated with brain damage by helminths include cysticercosis and echinococcosis. Characteristic symptoms them in the form of absent-mindedness, headache, visual impairment, are often mistaken for ordinary overwork.

Cysticercosis

  • Violent headaches.
  • Weakness, depression.
  • Increase in body temperature.
  • Depression.
  • psychomotor disorders.
  • Nervous system disorders.
  • Stupefaction of consciousness.
  • Epilepsy.
  • Lethargy, leading gradually to mental degradation.

Pork tapeworm is the causative agent of cysticercosis

Sometimes the doctor manages to feel characteristic nodules on the head of a patient with cysticercosis. The methods that give the most reliable results are enzyme immunoassay, MRI.

The treatment regimen includes taking glucocorticoids, which reduce inflammation in the brain, Praziquantel, Albendozol. Drug therapy with indication of dosages is prescribed by a doctor. Most often, surgery is used. The cystic form of cysticercosis is usually treatable, with the vine-like form there is a risk of death.

Echinococcosis

  • Severe headache causing vomiting.
  • Epilepsy attacks.
  • Malaise, weakness.
  • Inhibited state.
  • Disorder of the nervous system.
  • Change in mental state.
  • Possible paralysis.

Echinococcosis causes cysts to form

With a protracted course of the disease, the symptoms are replaced by periods of pronounced remission.

  • Rinse vegetables, fruits, herbs with running water.
  • Drink boiled or purified water.
  • Meat, fish subjected to thorough heat treatment.
  • Observe the rules of hygiene.
  • Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after going to the toilet and before eating.
  • Pets should be wormed periodically.

As an additional preventive measure, anthelmintic drugs are taken twice a year (Pirantel, Chloxil, Levamisole). Before using them, consult a doctor, and be sure to follow the recommended dosage.

Two types of helminths - cysticerci and echinococci most often cause brain damage in our country. There are other subspecies that can affect this vital organ, but they are mainly found in exotic countries, and such an infection in our country is extremely rare.

Cysticerci and Echinococcus

They enter the stomach and intestines, in the stomach, under the influence of the digestive process, the protective shell of the eggs dissolves, and as a result, small larvae, along with the bloodstream, begin to circulate throughout the body.

As practice has shown, in about 6 out of 10 cases, the larvae settle in the head, and not in other organs, here they can exist for up to three decades, causing a dangerous disease - neurocysticercosis.

The cause of the disease is T. solium(). The source of the causative agent of invasion is a sick person who excretes mature eggs and tapeworm segments with faeces. Infection occurs through contaminated hands, food, water, and also by eating pork that has undergone insufficient heat treatment, for example, poorly fried kebabs.

Cysticercosis develops as a result of the ingestion of pork tapeworm eggs with contaminated products into the stomach, through dirty hands, when mature segments are thrown from the intestine into the stomach during vomiting in persons infected with the sexually mature form of tapeworm.

If a person swallows an egg, the stomach and duodenum larvae are released, which enter the bloodstream through the intestinal wall and spread throughout the body. In the place where the larva is attached (for example, in the muscles or in the human brain), it turns into a cysticercus, which matures within 2-3 months and lives for several years.

Cysticercus is a vesicle filled with a clear liquid ranging in size from a pea to walnut(from 3 to 15 mm in diameter).

They are localized in the pia mater at the base of the brain, in the superficial sections of the cortex, in the cavity of the ventricles, where they can swim freely.

Symptoms neurocysticercosis can be very different and depend on where exactly the cysts are localized, as well as on their number and stage of development. In total, it is customary to distinguish 6 different forms that have their own symptoms. Generally Clinical signs diseases are characterized by:

  • Mental changes;
  • Paresis and paralysis;
  • Visual disturbances and respiratory disorders;
  • Headaches, sometimes with symptoms of meningitis, nausea and vomiting;
  • Convulsions, epileptic seizures, etc.

According to its symptoms, it resembles a tumor with a pronounced hypertensive syndrome. In this case, the following symptoms are observed:

  • Increased intracranial pressure.
  • Dizziness and constant;
  • Bouts of vomiting;
  • epileptic seizures;
  • Congestive discs of the nerves of the organs of vision;
  • Eosinophilia of the blood;

Diagnostics

Neurocysticercosis- one of the most dangerous diseases, including because it may not manifest itself in any way for a long period. Diagnosing neurocysticercosis is quite difficult, since each of the symptoms taken separately is not specific for neurocysticercosis. Neurocysticercosis should be distinguished from diseases that have similar symptoms: tumor, epilepsy, neurosyphilis, meningoencephalitis and others.

When making a diagnosis, the totality of symptoms matters: the multiplicity of symptoms as a result of multiple lesions of brain formations, the manifestation of symptoms of irritation, symptoms of increased intracranial pressure, alternation of a serious condition and light intervals with no signs of cysticercosis. Confirm the diagnosis instrumental and laboratory methods of research

Informative study of the spinal fluid. For this, a lumbar puncture is performed. In the cerebrospinal fluid, an increase in the content of lymphocytes and eosinophils, protein content is detected. In rare cases, it is possible to detect parts of the scolex, the cysticercus capsule. The puncture is performed only by a doctor, usually an anesthesiologist in a hospital under aseptic conditions.

RSK of blood or cerebrospinal fluid is carried out using a specific antigen of cysticercosis. The Lange reaction has a paralytic character.

On CT and MRI of the brain, small formations are determined in different numbers, which have dense contours.

At echinococcosis timely diagnosis is critical. Slowness in such situations can cost a person life, as echinococcosis cysts can quickly develop into tumors. The growth of cysts occurs quite quickly, provoking pathological and mechanical damage.

Diagnostic methods for echinococcosis:

  • Ultrasound of all internal organs in the peritoneum and retroperitoneal space;
  • Echography;
  • Blood and urine tests, general and biochemical analysis blood;
  • Blood test for the presence of antibodies;
  • X-ray of all organs in the chest area;
  • Magnetic resonance and computed tomography;
  • ERCP;
  • Spirography.

In most cases, echinococcosis is diagnosed quite by accident during an examination for a completely different reason, and the immediate start of treatment gives hope for a favorable outcome.

Treatment

Treatment of neurocysticercosis is carried out medically and surgically. It should be individual and selected based on the localization and number of cysticerci, as well as the characteristics of the host's immune response.

After the use of these drugs, the symptoms may worsen. Therefore, anti-inflammatory drugs are added to the treatment, and, if necessary, hormonal preparations. Anti-edematous therapy is being carried out. If necessary, antiemetics, painkillers are prescribed.

If there are single cysts, and also if cysticerci are located in the IV ventricle, or in relatively easily accessible areas of the cerebral cortex, then surgery is performed to remove them. This intervention can sometimes lead to recovery. With numerous cysts, such removal is impossible, and the prognosis for life is very unfavorable.

But more often it is not possible to remove all the cysticerci. Some may even go unnoticed. Therefore, surgical treatment is supplemented with drug anthelmintic drugs.

In the past, chemotherapy was used to treat inoperable patients, but now the indications for it have been expanded.

Prevention

The simplest measures to prevent both neurocysticercosis and echinococcosis are:

The best stories of our readers

From whom: Ludmila S. ( [email protected])

To whom: Administration site

Recently, my health has deteriorated. I began to feel constant fatigue, headaches, laziness and some kind of endless apathy appeared. Problems also appeared with the gastrointestinal tract: bloating, diarrhea, pain and bad breath.

I thought it was because of the hard work and hoped that everything would go away on its own. But every day I got worse. The doctors couldn't say much either. It seems like everything is normal, but I feel that my body is not healthy.