Combined Albenazole-Praziquantel Treatment in Recurrent Brain Echinococcosis: Case Report

Scientific paper - Case study

• Author: Tomislav Skuhala
• Author: Vladimir Trkulja
• Author: Mislav Runje
• Author: Mirjana Balen-Topić
• Author: Dalibor Vukelić
• Author's institution: University of Zagreb; School of Medicine; (Department of Infectious Diseases)
• Author's institution: University of Zagreb; School of Medicine; (Department of Pharmacology)
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: BIOMEDICINE AND HEALTHCARE; Clinical Medical Sciences; Infectology
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: BIOMEDICINE AND HEALTHCARE; Basic Medical Sciences; Pharmacology

Abstract (english)

We present a 40-year-old woman with a history of relapsing echinococcosis who had undergone a number of surgical procedures for cyst removal (right pulmectomy, cardiac surgery and 6 subsequent brain surgeries and two gamma knife procedures) and was admitted to University Hospital for Infectious Diseases "Fran Mihaljeviæ", Zagreb, Croatia in 2014 for pre-operative medical treatment of brain hydatidosis in the right parietal region. We aimed to attain a high cyst albendazole sulphoxide (ASO) concentration in order to achieve a more pronounced protoscolex inactivation and a high serum ASO concentration (reflecting the tissue concentrations) to reduce the risk of disease recurrence. The patient was treated with a higher dose of albendazole (15 mg/kg/day for 4 wk) that we had found effective in patients with liver hydatidosis, and combined with praziquantel over the last 14 d at a dose that is typically used to treat neurocysticercosis with an intention to improve ASO bioavailability. Neither serum nor cerebrospinal fluid concentrations on day 10 apparently differed from those on day 24 indicating a lack of an effect of praziquantel on ASO bioavailability. Intra-cystic ASO concentration was below the lower limit of quantification, but above the limit of detection. After the 7th episode of the disease and combined albendazole-praziquantel and surgery treatment, the patient achieved a 3-year remission. With the apparent lack of a meaningful pharmacokinetic praziquantel-albendazole interaction, this is most likely ascribable to the use of a higher albendazole dose than previously.

• Keywords (english): Albendazole; Albendazole-sulphoxide concentration; Brain echinococcosis; Praziquantel
• Language: croatian
• Publication type: Scientific paper - Case study
• Publication status: Published
• Peer review: Peer review
• Publication version: Published version
• Journal title: Iranian journal of parasitology
• Numbering: vol. 14, no. 3, pp. 492-496
• p-ISSN: 1735-7020
• e-ISSN: 2008-238X
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:105:278798
• Publication: 2019-07
• Document URL: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6815861/pdf/IJPA-14-492.pdf
• Type of resource: Text
• Access conditions: Open access
• Created on: 2021-03-17 09:08:05