Neuropsychiatric Manifestations of Neurocysticercosis

A common scenario in the Emergency Department shows patients presenting with abnormal behavior and agitation. A full workup is performed to rule out organic causes for the patients’ presentation after which they are referred to the Psychiatry Department for further assessment regarding major mental disorders. Similarly, the aforementioned protocol was followed for our patient and he was admitted to the psychiatry ward but was later referred to the Neurology and Infectious Diseases Unit as he developed altered mental status. He was then diagnosed as having neurocysticercosis (NCC), which is a common parasitic infection of the central nervous system. In a multiethnic city like Dubai, NCC should always be considered as a differential diagnosis for abnormal behavior. Symptomatic NCC carries a mortality rate of more than 50%, making early detection and treatment very important. Hence, it is encouraged to screen patients with a high pretest probability using brain CT and MRI.