A rare case of hepatic cysticercosis

Abstract

Human cysticercosis is an infection with the larval stage of Taenia solium and is commonly seen in developing countries. It usually involves the central nervous system but other organs like the heart, skeletal muscle and the orbit can also be involved. Rarely, the liver can also be the site of involvement. We report a case of a 25-year-old male with no premorbid illness but with a history of headache and vomiting. His physical and laboratory examinations suggested a diagnosis of tubercular meningitis. However, the high resolution ultrasound imaging of his abdomen showed that there were multiple cysticerci with scolices. IgG of cysticercosis detected by ELISA was also strongly positive, which supported the diagnosis of hepatic cysticercosis. He was managed with albendazole. This kind of cases has only been reported twice before in medical literature. It highlights the need to use high resolution ultrasonography in patients with a high index of suspicion of hepatic cysticercosis because of its occult presentation.