Single-Day Praziquantel Therapy for Neurocysticercosis

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Administration of praziquantel for 15 days is effective therapy for patients with parenchymal brain cysticercosis.1 Because the plasma and cerebrospinal fluid concentrations of praziquantel are highest two hours after its administration, after which they decline rapidly,2,3 we hypothesized that a high concentration that was maintained for about six hours by giving three doses at two-hour intervals might increase the length of time the parasite was exposed to high concentrations of drug and be sufficient cysticidal therapy for these patients. We therefore treated 10 patients (6 women and 4 men; mean [±SD] age, 33±11 years) with parenchymal brain cysticerci with three oral doses of 25 mg of praziquantel per kilogram of body weight, given at two-hour intervals, followed for the next three days by a daily dose of 10 mg of dexamethasone intramuscularly. All the patients had seizures as their principal symptom. The effectiveness of treatment was evaluated by magnetic resonance imaging three months later.