MRI in cerebral toxocaral disease

Abstract

Toxocara canis, the common roundworm in the dog, can cause 'visceral larva migrans' syndrome in humans, which may include generalised illness, eosinophilia, and symptoms arising from larval invasion of different organs. Of these, the clinically most important are liver, lungs, eyes and CNS. Involvement of the different parts of the CNS in human toxocaral disease has been described, but not the CT or MRI appearances of the cerebral lesions. In one case with a single focal epileptic fit, CT was described as normal. In the Toxocara canis case described, the cerebral lesions on MRI, before and after therapy, are shown.