{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,4]],"date-time":"2026-08-04T05:47:29Z","timestamp":1785822449046,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":22,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,4]],"date-time":"2026-08-04T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1785801600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Med."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Eclampsia is the default suspected diagnosis in cases of seizures during pregnancy; atypical or treatment-resistant cases warrant consideration of differential diagnoses for neurological causes. In endemic Andean regions, neurocysticercosis, a brain infection caused by Taenia solium larvae, is one of the leading causes of acquired epilepsy. This case demonstrates how this parasitic infection can mimic a severe obstetric emergency.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Case presentation<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This case describes a 35-year-old mestiza woman at 26.1 weeks of gestation with a history of preeclampsia in two previous pregnancies. She presented to the emergency department with headache, epigastric pain, blurred vision, and normal vital signs, followed by several tonic-clonic seizures. Given this presentation, the medical team immediately suspected eclampsia and initiated the magnesium sulfate protocol, as its mechanism of action promotes cerebral vasodilation and reduces vasospasm, thereby favoring neuroprotection. Laboratory tests showed a urine protein\/creatinine ratio of 0.58, with no abnormalities in hepatic or renal function parameters, and no recorded hypertensive values. Despite anticonvulsant administration, the seizures were not controlled, prompting neuroimaging studies. These studies revealed multiple cysts with scolices in the brain, confirming neurocysticercosis in the vesicular stage. Through a multidisciplinary approach, seizures were controlled with levetiracetam, allowing the pregnancy to reach term at 37.5 weeks. The patient had an uncomplicated normal vaginal delivery. In the postpartum period, she successfully started antiparasitic treatment with albendazole and dexamethasone.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This case offers a valuable lesson on the diagnostic challenge posed by the overlapping neurological symptoms of eclampsia and neurocysticercosis. If a pregnant woman presents with atypical seizures or fails to respond to magnesium sulfate, neuroimaging is essential: it is a vital tool for ruling out structural abnormalities and ensuring the wellbeing of both mother and baby.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fmed.2026.1900625","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,4]],"date-time":"2026-08-04T05:39:10Z","timestamp":1785821950000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Neurocysticercosis mimicking eclampsia in a pregnant woman with a history of preeclampsia: a case report"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Miguel","family":"Ochoa-Andrade","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Medicine Program, School of Health Sciences, Universidad T\u00e9cnica Particular de Loja","place":["Quito, Ecuador"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Andr\u00e9","family":"Urdiales","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Medicine Program, School of Health Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Cat\u00f3lica del Ecuador","place":["Quito, Ecuador"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Omar","family":"Morocho","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Medicine Program, School of Health Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Cat\u00f3lica del Ecuador","place":["Quito, Ecuador"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mateo","family":"Rojas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Medicine Program, School of Health Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Cat\u00f3lica del Ecuador","place":["Quito, Ecuador"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Aileen","family":"Salinas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Gynecology and Obstetrics, Medical Service, General Coordination of Maternal and Child Health, Hospital General del Sur de Quito","place":["Quito, Ecuador"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mar\u00eda Jos\u00e9","family":"Toro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Gynecology and Obstetrics, Medical Service, General Coordination of Maternal and Child Health, Hospital General del Sur de Quito","place":["Quito, Ecuador"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Daniel","family":"Vergara-Pacheco","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Gynecology and Obstetrics, Medical Service, General Coordination of Maternal and Child Health, Hospital General del Sur de Quito","place":["Quito, Ecuador"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jimmy","family":"Rivera-\u00c1lvarez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Gynecology and Obstetrics, Medical Service, General Coordination of Maternal and Child Health, Hospital General del Sur de Quito","place":["Quito, Ecuador"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Geovanny","family":"Quishpe","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Gynecology and Obstetrics, Medical Service, General Coordination of Maternal and Child Health, Hospital General del Sur de Quito","place":["Quito, Ecuador"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Freddy","family":"Saldarriaga-Mera","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Medical Program, School of Health Sciences, Universidad San Gregorio de Portoviejo","place":["Portoviejo, Ecuador"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,4]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","unstructured":"Pre-eclampsia\n          \n          2025"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"9","DOI":"10.1038\/s41572-023-00425-6","article-title":"Preeclampsia","author":"Dimitriadis","year":"2023","journal-title":"Nat Rev Dis Primers"},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"101054","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ajpc.2025.101054","article-title":"Preeclampsia: Insights into pathophysiological mechanisms and preventive strategies","volume":"23","author":"Martini","year":"2025","journal-title":"Am J Prev Cardiol"},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1555778","DOI":"10.3389\/fgwh.2025.1555778","article-title":"Maternal outcomes of severe preeclampsia and eclampsia and associated factors among women admitted to referral hospitals in the Amhara regional state, an institution-based cross-sectional study, Northwest Ethiopia","volume":"6","author":"Melesse","year":"2025","journal-title":"Front Glob Womens Health"},{"key":"B5","author":"Khalid","year":"2023","journal-title":"HELLP Syndrome"},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e46921","DOI":"10.1097\/MD.0000000000046921","article-title":"Severity of placental abruption and its dual impact on maternal and neonatal outcomes: a retrospective observational study","volume":"104","author":"Bestel","year":"2025","journal-title":"Medicine."},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e29080","DOI":"10.7759\/cureus.29080","article-title":"Eclampsia and its treatment modalities: a review article","volume":"14","author":"Akre","year":"2022","journal-title":"Cureus."},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"815","DOI":"10.1016\/j.clp.2004.06.007","article-title":"Imitators of severe pre-eclampsia\/eclampsia","volume":"31","author":"Sibai","year":"2004","journal-title":"Clin Perinatol."},{"key":"B9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"26","DOI":"10.33262\/ap.v4i2.2.212","article-title":"Zoonotic disease: geographic distribution of neurocysticercosis infection in Ecuador during the period 2014-2020","volume":"4","author":"Aguilar","year":"2022","journal-title":"AlfaPublicaciones"},{"key":"B10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e51","DOI":"10.1055\/s-0038-1639615","article-title":"Neurocysticercosis in pregnancy","volume":"8","author":"Webb","year":"2018","journal-title":"AJP Rep."},{"key":"B11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"130","DOI":"10.1016\/j.rxeng.2011.11.003","article-title":"Neurocysticercosis","volume":"55","author":"Sarria Estrada","year":"2013","journal-title":"Radiological findings Radiologia."},{"key":"B12","first-page":"59","article-title":"Postpartum patient diagnosed with neurocysticercosis. A case report and literature review","volume":"61","author":"Antonijuan","year":"2018","journal-title":"Prog Obstet Ginecol."},{"key":"B13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"211","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ajog.2013.02.015","article-title":"Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome in eclampsia","volume":"208","author":"Brewer","year":"2013","journal-title":"Am J Obstet Gynecol"},{"key":"B14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1880","DOI":"10.1161\/01.STR.24.12.1880","article-title":"Cerebral venous thrombosis associated with pregnancy and puerperium. Review of 67 cases","volume":"24","author":"Cant\u00fa","year":"1993","journal-title":"Stroke."},{"key":"B15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1705","DOI":"10.1148\/rg.306105522","article-title":"Neurocysticercosis: radiologic-pathologic correlation","volume":"30","author":"Kimura-Hayama","year":"2010","journal-title":"Radiographics."},{"key":"B16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1141","DOI":"10.1093\/infdis\/jix027","article-title":"Natural history of patients with perilesional edema around Taenia solium calcified granulomas","volume":"215","author":"Nash","year":"2017","journal-title":"J Infect Dis"},{"key":"B17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"789","DOI":"10.1080\/14787210.2020.1761332","article-title":"Current approaches to cysticidal drug therapy for neurocysticercosis","volume":"18","author":"Del Brutto","year":"2020","journal-title":"Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther"},{"key":"B18","first-page":"755","article-title":"Neurocysticercosis in pregnancy: case report and review of literature","volume":"14","author":"D'Cruz","year":"1999","journal-title":"J Child Neurol."},{"key":"B19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"609","DOI":"10.1016\/S1474-4422(11)70107-7","article-title":"Malformations with antiepileptic drugs: an analysis from the EURAP epilepsy and pregnancy registry","volume":"10","author":"Tomson","year":"2011","journal-title":"Lancet Neurol."},{"key":"B20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"E237","DOI":"10.1097\/AOG.0000000000003891","article-title":"Gestational hypertension and preeclampsia: ACOG Practice Bulletin, Number 222","volume":"135","year":"2020","journal-title":"Obstet Gynecol"},{"key":"B21","first-page":"700","article-title":"Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy","author":"Landon","year":"2025","journal-title":"Gabbe's Obstetrics: Normal and Problem Pregnancies .9th"},{"key":"B22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"259","DOI":"10.1016\/S0074-7742(08)00015-9","article-title":"Chapter 15 Seizures in pregnancy. Diagnosis and management","volume":"83","author":"Beach","year":"2008","journal-title":"Int Rev Neurobiol."}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Medicine"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fmed.2026.1900625\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,4]],"date-time":"2026-08-04T05:39:12Z","timestamp":1785821952000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fmed.2026.1900625\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,4]]},"references-count":22,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fmed.2026.1900625"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fmed.2026.1900625","relation":{},"ISSN":["2296-858X"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2296-858X","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,4]]},"article-number":"1900625"}}