. 2021 May 10;8:615703. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2021.615703

Table 2.

Definitive diagnostic criteria for symptomatic neurocysticercosis by Carpio et al. (22).

Parenchymal neurocysticercosisDefinitive parenchymal neurocysticercosis, one of the following:
1. Parenchymal cyst with pathological diagnosis
2. Single or multiple active parenchymal cysts, with at least one cyst with scolex on CT or MRI
3. Multiple parenchymal vesicles without scolex associated with at least one of the following:
  a. Seizures: focal or generalized tonic–clonic
  b. Positive serum or CSF immunological test (ELISA, EITB)
4. Any combination of the parenchymal cysticercus in different evolutive stages: vesicular with or without scolex, degenerative (colloidal or nodular), and calcified
Probable parenchymal neurocysticercosis, one of the following:
1. Single parenchymal calcification or vesicle (without scolex) or degenerating cyst(s), establishing differential diagnoses with other etiologies, associated with at least two of the following:
  a. Seizures: focal or generalized tonic–clonic
  b. Subcutaneous or muscle cysts location confirmed by biopsy
  c. Positive serum or CSF immunological test (ELISA, EITB)
  d. Plain X-ray films showing “cigar-shaped” calcifications
  e. Individual who lives or has lived in or has traveled frequently to endemic countries
2. Multiple parenchymal calcifications in an individual who lives or has lived in or has traveled frequently to endemic countries and in whom clinical state excludes other etiologies of calcifications

Extraparenchymal neurocysticercosis (intraventricular/basal subarachnoid)
Definitive extraparenchymal neurocysticercosis, one of the following:
1. Extraparenchymal cyst with pathological diagnosis
2. One or more extraparenchymal cysts on MRI special sequences with scolex in at least one of them
3. One or more extraparenchymal cysts on MRI special sequences without scolex associated with at least two of the following:
  a. Hydrocephalus
  b. Inflammatory CSF
  c. Positive CSF immunological test (ELISA, EITB)
  d. Presence of single or multiple calcifications or parenchymal vesicular or degenerative cyst

Parenchymal and extraparenchymal neurocysticercosis
Combination of the above definitive parenchymal and definitive extraparenchymal criteria

CT, computed tomography; MRI, magnetic resonance imaging; CSF, cerebrospinal fluid; ELISA, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; EITB, enzyme-linked immunoelectrotransfer blot.