Now let's discuss Taenia solium, pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, and treatment. Humans become infected with Taenia solium when eating poorly cooked pork containing the cysts. After ingestion, the oncospheres exocyst and migrate to the small intestine. They mature into adults cestodes, 2 to 8 meters in length over the next three months. Gravid segments containing eggs may be released into the small intestine where they can invade the mucosa and disseminate. Autoinfection may also occur through ingestion of eggs via the fecal-oral route. During dissemination, eggs migrate to muscle, brain, intraocular locations, subcutaneous locations, or other tissue. Once in tissue, they encyst themselves. This is the phase known as cysticercosis. The cysts are several millimeters to 1 to 2 centimeters in size. In the brain, they most commonly are located in the cerebral hemispheres at the gray-white matter junction. They may also be found in the cerebellum, ventricles, brain stem, subarachnoid space, basal cisterns, and spine. Following ingestion of oncospheres, infected persons may have GI complaints 6 to 8 weeks later as the adult worms mature. The adult worms may live for many years causing no symptoms. Symptoms are typically caused by encysted eggs and relate to the organ system where they're located, most commonly the central nervous system. Neurocysticercosis is a common cause of epilepsy in low and middle income countries. Neurocysticercosis may also cause headaches, hydrocephalus, and eosinophilic meningitis. Occasionally, cysts may degenerate and cause local inflammation. The laboratory findings of Taenia solium infection relate to the involved organ system. Neurocysticercosis is commonly seen at the gray-white matter junction on CT or MR scan. Cysts with dead eggs may calcify. Cysts adjacent to meningeal surfaces may rupture into ventricles or cause eosinophilic meningitis. During active infection, the diagnosis is made when eggs are found in the stool. During chronic infection, biopsy will demonstrate typical cysts with eggs. In specialized settings, there is a serologic test available. Most commonly, the diagnosis of Cysticercosis is made based upon clinical findings with characteristic radiological results. Treatment of Taenia solium is offered with Albendazole, 15 milligrams per kilogram for eight days. Alternatives include praziquantel or niclosamine. Calcified lesions may not need treatment because the organisms are dead. Clinicians should be aware that treatment may cause inflammation and high risk lesions may require concurrent steroids. Rarely, surgical resection is needed. Let's review a case history. A 23 year old presented at the hospital after the new onset of generalized seizures. His exam was unremarkable. He was given phenytoin and his seizures resolved. CT scan showed multiple 0.5 to 1.0 centimeter lesions in his cerebral hemispheres. None were located near meninges or ventricles. A clinical diagnosis of neurocysticercosis was established. He was treated with albendazole 15 milligrams per kilogram daily for 8 days. Importantly, he was continued on, indefinitely, on phenytoin due to the risk of recurrent seizures.