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Along with presentation of the above mentioned symptoms (see "Symptoms"), there may be other findings that may help in diagnosing coenurosis. These include:
- Papilledema (swelling of the optic nerve head) in the back of the retina during eye examination
- Moderate hypoglycorrhachia (low concentrations of blood sugar in the cerebral spinal fluid) with glucose concentrations below 40 mg/dl occurs in about half the cases; occasionally the glucose levels fall to values as low as 10 mg/dl
- Raised intracranial pressure caused by ventricular obstruction.
- Cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) examination showing nonspecific profile indicating subacute (between acute and chronic) nonbacterial inflammation.
- Imaging reveals a cystic mass, often in the ventricles or in the subarachnoid space, suggesting the differential diagnosis of a parasitic infection. More specifically, on CT scans viable cysts appear as lucent lesions surrounded by a contrast-enhanced peripheral rim. Multiple echo MRI sequences reveal that the intensity of the cyst contents is similar to that of the CSF.
- Ventriculography, CT, or MRI may show dilatation of the ventricles
However, a definitive diagnosis of coenurosis can only come from a gross microscopic examination of the morphologic appearance of the cyst. See “Coenurus” for more information. |
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