comparison of 1 week versus 4 weeks of albendazole therapy in single small enhancing computed tomography lesion

Original Article www.neurologyindia.com Comparison of week versus weeks of albendazole therapy in single small enhancing computed tomography lesion Prabhjeet Kaur, Praveena Dhiman, Neeraj Dhawan, Raman Nijhawan1, Sadbhavna Pandit Departments of Pediatrics and 1Radiology, Government Multi Speciality Hospital, Sector 16, Chandigarh- 160 015, India Abstract Address for correspondence: Dr Neeraj Dhawan, H No 6144, MHC, Manimajra, Chandigarh- 160 101, India E-mail: ndhawan_6144@yahoo.com PMID: *** DOI: 10.4103/0028-3886.68677 Background: The appropriate duration of albendazole therapy in neurocysticercosis is uncertain The observation in small uncontrolled randomized trials in children that short-course therapy (1 week) is as effective as the conventional regimen (4weeks) must be tested Objective: To compare the efficacy of and weeks of albendazole therapy in children with single small enhancing computed tomographic lesion (SSECTL) Study Design: An open-labeled, randomized, clinical trial Materials and Methods: One hundred twenty children with SSECTLs presenting with seizure Intervention: The subjects were assigned to two groups using random tables: group A (n=58) received albendazole for week and group B (n=62) for weeks All the subjects were followed up for months Results: The proportions of subjects with complete resolution of lesion in the two groups were similar (group A 63.8% versus group B 51.6%) The proportion of subjects in the two groups in whom the lesion calcified on follow up (group A 19% versus group B 24.2%) also did not differ significantly The incidence of seizure recurrence during the 6-month follow-up period was also similar in both the groups (group A 9.6% versus group B 3.4%, P > 0.05) Conclusion: One week of albendazole therapy is as effective as weeks of therapy in children with SSECTLs Key words: Albendazole, contrast-enhanced computer tomography, duration, neurocysticercosis, single small enhancing computed tomographic lesions Introduction Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is defined as an infection of the brain and its coverings by the larval stage of the tapeworm Infection by Taenia solium is the most common helminthic infection of the central nervous system and a leading cause of acquired epilepsy worldwide.[1,2] Rates of taeniasis, as determined by stool examination for ova, have been reported to range between 0.1 and 6% in the community in India and in other developing countries.[3] A common but characteristic presentation of NCC is the single cysticercus lesion, also known as solitary cysticercus granuloma Radiologically, [on contrastenhanced computed tomography (CECT)], the lesion is 560 typically single, small (