Diagnosis of Cysticercosis in Eye and Treatment Follow-Up of Extra Ocular Forms by Serum IgG ELISA

Ophthalmic cysticercosis (OCC) caused by Taenia solium larval infection in eye, is emerging as a far commoner disease in the tropics. There is a scarcity in sero diagnostics to aid its laboratory diagnosis; thereby management still continues to pose a serious challenge. Presently serum IgG-ELISAs were performed on 40 consecutive clinically diagnosed OCC cases. Extra ocular muscle was found to be the predominant site of infection where ocular motility disorder was the major clinical presentation. ELISA using larval somatic and excretory secretory (ES) antigens was positive in 32.5% and 45% cases respectively. Anti-ES antibodies were detected more frequently in cases having extra ocular cysts compared to intraocular location. Differential levels of antibodies specific to above two antigens were estimated during the course of parasite degeneration as evident from findings following treatment. These indigenous serum IgG ELISAs might be useful as an adjunct to existing tools for diagnosis of OCC with a more promising application in post treatment follow up of extra ocular form of cysticercosis in particular.