Unravelling parasitic spinal infections: a narrative review on diagnosis, treatment strategies, and collaborative management approaches.

Introduction: Parasitic infections are more common in low hygiene regions but can occur in developed countries. They often cause significant morbidity and death, especially in the central nervous system. Some spinal infections are caused by Method: The search strategy included (Parasitic) OR (Neurocysticercosis) OR (Echinococcosis) OR (Sparganosis) OR (Schistosomiasis) OR (Gnathostomiasis) OR (Lagochilascariasis) OR (Toxocariasis) OR (Toxoplasma)) AND ((Spine) OR (Spinal)) AND (Infection). Results: 35 articles with 44 participants (average age of 40.1±12.6 years) were included. Most affected were the thoracic (50%) and lumbar (15.9%) spines. Neurocysticercosis was the most common infection (45.5%), followed by echinococcosis (31.8%), sparganosis (6.8%), schistosomiasis (4.5%), gnathostomiasis (4.5%), and single occurrences of lagochilascariasis and toxocariasis (2.3% each). Albendazole was administered in 90.9% of cases. Depending on the situation, 35 out of 44 (79.5%) of cases required surgery, which could involve fixation or not. All patients survived, with an average follow-up of 18.6±24.8 months. Neuroimaging, serology, and clinical symptoms determined the diagnosis. Antiparasitic and anti-inflammatory medicines are utilised, and surgery or spinal cord decompression may be explored for unclear diagnoses.