Condition

Cysticercosis

Clinical trials and treatment information for Cysticercosis

4.4M
People Affected
15
Active Trials
300K
New Cases/Year
1,643
Deaths/Year

Treatment Rankings

Ranked by evidence volume first. Medicine has spent centuries ranking things by vibes. This is an improvement.

1
Combination Therapy (Albendazole + Praziquantel + Corticosteroids)
90% Effectiveness• 90% Confidence• 60% Safety• 50 trials• 8K participants
HIGH EvidenceExcellent ValueDose: Albendazole 15 mg/kg/day, Praziquantel 50 mg/kg/day, Dexamethasone 0.1 mg/kg/day
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Comparative Safety Scale(Higher is safer)

Cyanide☠️
Meth💀
Cigarettes🚬
Chemo☢️
Alcohol🍺
Morphine💊
Antibiotics💉
Tylenol💊
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60
DangerousModerateSafe

Time to Effect

1-2 months for cyst resolution

Duration

7-14 days for antiparasitics, 1-3 weeks for corticosteroids

Response Rate

85%

Remission Rate

80%

Number Needed to Treat (NNT)

2

Number Needed to Harm (NNH)

50

Common Side Effects:

Headache: 25%
Nausea/Vomiting: 15%
Abdominal Pain: 10%
Dizziness: 10%
Elevated Liver Enzymes: 10%
Insomnia: 8%
Mood Changes: 7%

Annual Cost of Care

Drug Cost

$100

Monitoring

$1,600

Side Effects

$300

Total Annual

$2,000

Cost-Effectiveness

EXCELLENT

QALYs Gained

2.2

Cost per Remission

$2,500

Cost per Responder

$2,352.9

Treatment Outcomes
Efficacy Outcomes
Overall Effectiveness
+90%
Response Rate
+85%
Remission Rate
+80%
Common Side Effects
Headache
+25%
Nausea/Vomiting
+15%
Abdominal Pain
+10%

Clinical Trial Phases:

Phase 4
2
Surgical Shunt (e.g., VP Shunt)
95% Effectiveness• 95% Confidence• 40% Safety• 100 trials• 15K participants
MODERATE EvidenceGood Value
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Comparative Safety Scale(Higher is safer)

Cyanide☠️
Meth💀
Cigarettes🚬
Chemo☢️
Alcohol🍺
Morphine💊
Antibiotics💉
Tylenol💊
Exercise🏃
Water💧
40
DangerousModerateSafe

Time to Effect

Immediate

Duration

Lifetime (requires revisions)

Response Rate

90%

Remission Rate

%

Number Needed to Treat (NNT)

1

Number Needed to Harm (NNH)

5

Common Side Effects:

Shunt Malfunction: 25%
Infection: 10%
Hemorrhage: 3%
Overdrainage: 7%

Annual Cost of Care

Drug Cost

$0

Monitoring

$750

Side Effects

$2,000

Total Annual

$7,250

Cost-Effectiveness

GOOD

QALYs Gained

10

Cost per Responder

$8,055.5

Treatment Outcomes
Efficacy Outcomes
Overall Effectiveness
+95%
Response Rate
+90%
Common Side Effects
Shunt Malfunction
+25%
Infection
+10%
Hemorrhage
+3%

Clinical Trial Phases:

Phase 4
3
Albendazole
85% Effectiveness• 88% Confidence• 68% Safety• 10 trials• 10K participants
HIGH EvidenceExcellent ValueDose: 15 mg/kg/day (max 800 mg/day)
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Comparative Safety Scale(Higher is safer)

Cyanide☠️
Meth💀
Cigarettes🚬
Chemo☢️
Alcohol🍺
Morphine💊
Antibiotics💉
Tylenol💊
Exercise🏃
Water💧
68
DangerousModerateSafe

Time to Effect

1-2 months for cyst resolution

Duration

7-28 days

Response Rate

80%

Remission Rate

70%

Number Needed to Treat (NNT)

3

Number Needed to Harm (NNH)

100

Common Side Effects:

Headache: 18%
Nausea/Vomiting: 8%
Abdominal Pain: 7%
Dizziness: 7%
Elevated Liver Enzymes: 10%
Rash: 3%

Annual Cost of Care

Drug Cost

$50

Monitoring

$1,500

Side Effects

$200

Total Annual

$1,750

Cost-Effectiveness

EXCELLENT

QALYs Gained

1.5

Cost per Remission

$2,500

Cost per Responder

$2,187.5

Treatment Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Number of viable parenchymal cysts4 cysts on MRI/CT
-85% (-3.4 cysts)
Seizure frequency3 seizures/month
-70% (-2.1 seizures/month)
Perilesional edema volume10 cm³ on MRI
-75% (-7.5 cm³)
Secondary Benefits
Headache frequency12 headache days/month
-60% (-7.2 headache days/month)
Neurological Deficit Score (modified Rankin Scale)mRS: 2/6
-50% (-1 point)
Quality of Life (QOLIE-31 score)QOLIE-31 score: 55/100
+10% (+5.5 points)
Common Side Effects
Headache
+18%
Nausea/Vomiting
+8%
Abdominal Pain
+7%

Clinical Trial Phases:

Phase 4
4
Praziquantel
80% Effectiveness• 85% Confidence• 67% Safety• 5 trials• 8K participants
HIGH EvidenceExcellent ValueDose: 50 mg/kg/day
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Comparative Safety Scale(Higher is safer)

Cyanide☠️
Meth💀
Cigarettes🚬
Chemo☢️
Alcohol🍺
Morphine💊
Antibiotics💉
Tylenol💊
Exercise🏃
Water💧
67
DangerousModerateSafe

Time to Effect

1-2 months for cyst resolution

Duration

2-14 days

Response Rate

75%

Remission Rate

65%

Number Needed to Treat (NNT)

4

Number Needed to Harm (NNH)

120

Common Side Effects:

Headache: 20%
Dizziness: 12%
Nausea/Vomiting: 8%
Abdominal Pain: 7%
Fever: 3%
Malaise: 3%

Annual Cost of Care

Drug Cost

$40

Monitoring

$1,500

Side Effects

$200

Total Annual

$1,740

Cost-Effectiveness

EXCELLENT

QALYs Gained

1.2

Cost per Remission

$2,676.9

Cost per Responder

$2,320

Treatment Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Viable Cyst Count5 viable cysts (imaging)
-70% (-3.5 cysts)
Seizure Frequency4 seizures/month
-75% (-3 seizures/month)
Perilesional Edema Volume20 cm³
-80% (-16 cm³)
CSF Protein Concentration70 mg/dL
-50% (-35 mg/dL)
Secondary Benefits
Quality of Life (QOLIE-31 score)QOLIE-31 score: 50/100
+20% (+10 points on QOLIE-31)
Neurological Deficit Severity (NIHSS)NIHSS score: 5/42
-40% (-2 points on NIHSS)
Headache Severity (VAS)Headache pain: 6/10 (VAS)
-50% (-3 points on VAS)
Common Side Effects
Headache
+20%
Dizziness
+12%
Nausea/Vomiting
+8%

Clinical Trial Phases:

Phase 4
5
Dexamethasone
75% Effectiveness• 92% Confidence• 50% Safety• 5 trials• 20K participants
HIGH EvidenceExcellent ValueDose: 0.1 mg/kg/day (e.g., 4-8mg daily)
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Comparative Safety Scale(Higher is safer)

Cyanide☠️
Meth💀
Cigarettes🚬
Chemo☢️
Alcohol🍺
Morphine💊
Antibiotics💉
Tylenol💊
Exercise🏃
Water💧
50
DangerousModerateSafe

Time to Effect

Hours to days

Duration

1-3 weeks (tapering)

Response Rate

90%

Remission Rate

%

Number Needed to Treat (NNT)

3

Number Needed to Harm (NNH)

70

Common Side Effects:

Insomnia: 15%
Mood Changes: 10%
Increased Appetite: 15%
Fluid Retention: 8%
Hyperglycemia: 7%

Annual Cost of Care

Drug Cost

$10

Monitoring

$50

Side Effects

$70

Total Annual

$130

Cost-Effectiveness

EXCELLENT

QALYs Gained

0.8

Cost per Responder

$144.4

Treatment Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Perilesional Edema Volume (on MRI/CT)15 cm³
-60% (-9 cm³)
Seizure Frequency5 seizures/month
-75% (-3.75 seizures/month)
Headache Severity (NRS 0-10)8 points
-60% (-4.8 points)
Secondary Benefits
Quality of Life (EQ-5D-5L Index Score)0.65
+15% (+0.0975 points)
Hospitalization Days per Year7 days/year
-40% (-2.8 days/year)
Common Side Effects
Insomnia
+15%
Mood Changes
+10%
Increased Appetite
+15%

Clinical Trial Phases:

Phase 4
6
Levetiracetam
70% Effectiveness• 90% Confidence• 60% Safety• 180 trials• 18K participants
HIGH EvidenceGood ValueDose: 500-1500 mg twice daily
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Comparative Safety Scale(Higher is safer)

Cyanide☠️
Meth💀
Cigarettes🚬
Chemo☢️
Alcohol🍺
Morphine💊
Antibiotics💉
Tylenol💊
Exercise🏃
Water💧
60
DangerousModerateSafe

Time to Effect

Days to weeks

Duration

6 months to 2 years (or longer)

Response Rate

70%

Remission Rate

60%

Number Needed to Treat (NNT)

4

Number Needed to Harm (NNH)

10

Common Side Effects:

Somnolence: 18%
Dizziness: 12%
Irritability/Mood Changes: 10%
Fatigue: 8%

Annual Cost of Care

Drug Cost

$200

Monitoring

$600

Side Effects

$150

Total Annual

$950

Cost-Effectiveness

GOOD

QALYs Gained

1.2

Cost per Remission

$1,583.3

Cost per Responder

$1,357.1

Treatment Outcomes
Efficacy Outcomes
Overall Effectiveness
+70%
Response Rate
+70%
Remission Rate
+60%
Common Side Effects
Somnolence
+18%
Dizziness
+12%
Irritability/Mood Changes
+10%

Clinical Trial Phases:

Phase 4