TY - JOUR
T1 - Cysticercosis as a major cause of epilepsy in Peru
AU - Garcia, H. H.
AU - Gilman, R.
AU - Herrera, G.
AU - Diaz, F.
AU - Miranda, E.
AU - Gilman, R.
AU - Martinez, M.
AU - Alvarado, M.
AU - Tsang, V. C.W.
AU - Pilcher, J. B.
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was supported by grants from the International Development Research Council of Canada, Concejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologia, Peru, Fundacion Hipolito Unanue, and the RG-ER Fund. H. G. is the recipient of a grant from the Comision del Quinto Centenario del Descubrimiento de America.
PY - 1993/1/23
Y1 - 1993/1/23
N2 - In countries where cysticercosis is endemic, the proportion of epilepsy due to cysticercosis is not well documented. To investigate the association between cysticercosis and epilepsy, we used the enzyme-linked immunoelectrotransfer blot (EITB) assay to detect serum antibodies to Taenia solium in 498 consecutive outpatients at a neurology clinic in Lima, Peru. Every patient was classified as epileptic (n = 189) or non-epileptic (n=309) after neurological, and where possible electroencephalographic, examination. A substantially higher proportion of epileptic than non-epileptic patients was seropositive in the EITB (22 [12%] vs 8 [3%], p<0·001). 19% of epileptic patients born outside Lima, 20% of those with late-onset epilepsy, and 29% of patients with both these characteristics were seropositive. Thus, in Peru, cysticercosis is an important aetiological factor for epilepsy.
AB - In countries where cysticercosis is endemic, the proportion of epilepsy due to cysticercosis is not well documented. To investigate the association between cysticercosis and epilepsy, we used the enzyme-linked immunoelectrotransfer blot (EITB) assay to detect serum antibodies to Taenia solium in 498 consecutive outpatients at a neurology clinic in Lima, Peru. Every patient was classified as epileptic (n = 189) or non-epileptic (n=309) after neurological, and where possible electroencephalographic, examination. A substantially higher proportion of epileptic than non-epileptic patients was seropositive in the EITB (22 [12%] vs 8 [3%], p<0·001). 19% of epileptic patients born outside Lima, 20% of those with late-onset epilepsy, and 29% of patients with both these characteristics were seropositive. Thus, in Peru, cysticercosis is an important aetiological factor for epilepsy.
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U2 - 10.1016/0140-6736(93)90064-N
DO - 10.1016/0140-6736(93)90064-N
M3 - Article
C2 - 8093496
AN - SCOPUS:0027532218
SN - 0140-6736
VL - 341
SP - 197
EP - 200
JO - The Lancet
JF - The Lancet
IS - 8839
ER -