Seroprevalence of Cysticercosis among Epileptic Patients Attending Neurological Units in the Urban Area of Abidjan.

Cysticercosis is one of the main causes of secondary epilepsy in sub-Saharan Africa. To estimate the seroprevalence of cysticercosis among epileptic patients, we conducted a cross-sectional study of patients attending neurology consultation in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. Methods: Patients' socio-demographic and lifestyle data were collected as well as blood samples for serological testing using ELISA and Western blot based on IgG antibodies detection. For qualitative variables comparison, Chi2 or Fisher tests were used; a Student's t-test was used to compare quantitative variables. A multivariate logistic regression model was fit to identify risks factors. Results: Among 403 epileptic patients included in the study, 55.3% were male; the median age was 16.9 years; 77% lived in Abidjan; 26.5% were workers. Most patients included in the study had tonic-clonic seizures (80%), and 11.2% had focal deficit signs. The seroprevalence of cysticercosis was 6.0%. The risk was higher in patients over 30 years old (aOR = 5.1 (1.3-20.0)) than in patients under 16. The risk was also considerably high in patients who reported epileptics in the family (aOR = 5 (1.7-14.6)). The risk was three-fold less in females than in males. Conclusions: This study highlighted the exposure of epileptic patients to Taenia solium larvae in an urban area. The risk of positive serology was increased with age, male gender, and family history of epilepsy.

The Kleine-Levin Syndrome: A Rare Disease with Often Delayed Diagnosis-A Report of Two Cases in the Department of Neurology of the University Hospital of Cocody (Côte d'Ivoire).

The Kleine-Levin syndrome is a rare pathology characterized by recurrent episodes of hypersomnia associated with behavioral and cognitive disorders with, among others, hyperphagia and hypersexuality. The disease mainly affects young males. A few studies mention cases that occurred in Africa, especially in Côte d'Ivoire. In this paper, we report the very first two cases observed in the Neurology Department of the University Hospital of Cocody. The diagnosis was clinical, based on the recurrence of hypersomnia, cognitive and behavioral disorders during the periods of hypersomnia, and the return of patients to normal state between episodes. This diagnosis was delayed due to failure to understand the pathology, thereby leading patients to wandering. In fact, the two patients were consulted, respectively, 3 years and 6 years after the hypersomnia began. The objective was to report the very first cases observed in the Neurology Department of the University Hospital of Cocody, Côte d'Ivoire.