[Infectious ventriculitis in relation with neurocysticercosis in Burkina Faso].

INTRODUCTION

Ventriculitis is an uncommon entity, which is defined as localized meningitis in the cerebral ventricles. It usually occurs in a context of immunodepression, where its presence may suggest primary brain lymphoma, certain viral infections including cytomegalovirus (CMV) and much more rarely, tuberculous meningitis.

OBSERVATION: A 48-year-old immunocompetent male was admitted to the neurology department of the Ouagadougou teaching hospital with the diagnosis of infectious ventriculitis in relation with neurocysticercosis (NCC). The diagnosis was based on several arguments including brain CT scan (dilated lateral and third ventricles with ependymal enhancement and scattered parenchymatous cystic hypodensities exhibiting enhancement after contrast injection), the notion of exposure (the patient raised pigs), residence in an endemic zone of cysticercosis, and test results: CSF analysis (aseptic meningitis), positive ELISA for NCC in both CSF and blood. The good clinical and biological outcome after treatment with albendazole was another argument favoring the diagnosis.

CONCLUSION

This illustrates the importance of searching for NCC in patients with ventriculitis residing in an endemic zone for cysticercosis.