Toxocara canis seropositivity in epileptic patients

Abstract

In this study, Toxocara canis Seropositivity was determined in 47 patients out of those with epilepsy who were referred to our neurology clinics. These were patients given a diagnosis of idiopathic epilepsy because the etiological cause of the disease could not be determined even with cranial MRI and other tests. Seropositivity was detected in 15 (31.9%) of the 47 patients. Eleven (42.3%) out of 26 male patients were seropositive and four (19.0%) out of 21 female patients. The higher Seropositivity rate in men was not statistically significant. In conclusion, it cannot be said that T. canis plays a role in the etiology of idiopathic epilepsy according to our results. However, it is possible that behavior may increase the risk of exposure to T. canis thus affecting Seropositivity rates. We also think that epileptic patients in rural areas such as our region represent a risk group for toxocariasis.

Özet

İdiyopatik epilepsi tanısı alan olgularda Toxocara canis seropozitifliğini araştırmak amacıyla Nöroloji kliniğine başvuran epilepsi olguları içerisinde, kranial MRI ve diğer tetkiklerle etyolojik neden saptanamayan ve idiopatik epilepsi tanısı konan 47 hasta çalışmaya alındı. Tüm olguların 15'inde (%31.9), seropozitiflik saptanırken, 26 erkek hastanın 11'inde (%42.3) ve 21 kadın hastanın 4'ünde (%19.0) seropozitiflik saptandı. Erkek olgularda seropozitiflik kadın olgulardan istatistiksel olarak anlamlı düzeyde yüksek bulundu (p