Neurocysticercosis as an important differential of seizures in pregnancy: two case reports

Seizures in pregnancy usually result from eclampsia, epilepsy or central nervous system disorders. Neurocysticercosis is a rare, but an important, cause of first-time convulsions in pregnancy.

We report the cases of two Indian women, aged 20 and 24 years old respectively, with neurocysticercosis presenting in the second trimester of pregnancy with convulsions. Both had marginally raised blood pressure with 1+ urine albumin and neither had a past history of convulsions. The neurocysticercosis was diagnosed on magnetic resonance imaging of the head, which showed spherical ring-enhancing lesions in the brain. In one woman, pregnancy was terminated due to spina bifida in the fetus and she was discharged on albendazole and phenytoin. The second woman was put on carbamazepine: she had an emergency Cesarean section at term for fetal distress and delivered a healthy baby. Her postnatal period was uneventful.

Neurocysticercosis should be considered in pregnant women presenting with seizures which cannot be explained by eclampsia, especially in early pregnancy.