Neurocysticercosis & CNS Parasites MCQ Quiz | CNS Infections

1. What is the definitive host for Taenia solium, the causative agent of neurocysticercosis?

2. What is the most common clinical presentation of neurocysticercosis (NCC)?

3. How do humans acquire cysticercosis (the larval form), leading to NCC?

4. A “starry sky” appearance on a non-contrast CT scan of the brain is characteristic of which stage of NCC?

5. Which stage of neurocysticercosis is associated with the most intense host inflammatory response?

6. The presence of a scolex within a cystic lesion on an MRI is considered:

7. Why are corticosteroids, such as dexamethasone, co-administered with antiparasitic drugs like albendazole in the treatment of NCC?

8. A 30-year-old immunocompromised patient (AIDS) presents with seizures. An MRI brain shows multiple ring-enhancing lesions. What is the most likely causative organism?

9. Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM), a rapidly fatal CNS infection, is caused by which organism?

10. The typical route of entry for Naegleria fowleri into the CNS is through the:

11. The classic triad of congenital toxoplasmosis consists of chorioretinitis, hydrocephalus, and:

12. African Trypanosomiasis, or “sleeping sickness,” is transmitted by the bite of the:

13. Winterbottom’s sign, characterized by posterior cervical lymphadenopathy, is a classic sign of which CNS infection?

14. Granulomatous Amebic Encephalitis (GAE), a subacute to chronic infection, is typically caused by:

15. The racemose form of neurocysticercosis is characterized by:

16. CNS hydatid disease, caused by Echinococcus granulosus, typically appears on MRI as:

17. A characteristic finding in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of a patient with neurocysticercosis is:

18. Chagas disease, which can have late-stage CNS manifestations, is caused by which protozoan?

19. Cerebral malaria, the most severe neurological complication of infection with Plasmodium falciparum, is primarily caused by:

20. The Del Brutto criteria are used for the diagnosis of:

21. Which of the following is an absolute criterion for the diagnosis of neurocysticercosis?

22. A patient from a rural area presents with new-onset seizures. MRI shows a single, small, enhancing parenchymal lesion that resolves spontaneously in a few months. This clinical entity is often referred to as:

23. Treatment with antiparasitic drugs is generally NOT recommended for which form of NCC?

24. What is the primary drug of choice for treating cerebral toxoplasmosis in an HIV-positive patient?

25. A patient with NCC develops obstructive hydrocephalus due to a cyst in the fourth ventricle. What is the most appropriate immediate management?