• INCLUSION CRITERIA:

Diagnosis of intraparencyhmal neurocysticercosis with 20 or less viable (active) cysts as determined by MRI and CAT scan.

Positive serology by EITB western blot.

Adult male or female between 16-65 years of age.

Patients with a diagnosis of epilepsy secondary to NCC and a history of one or more spontaneous seizures within the previous 6 months but not longer than 10 years.

Willingness to be hospitalized for a minimum of two weeks and longer if complications occur.

Normal laboratory values for hematocrit, platelets, WBC and glucose and normal or decreased values for creatinine.

Patients with AST or ALT values of 2.3 times the upper limit of normal or lower can be included if the patient is otherwise healthy and there is no other evidence of liver disease.

Absence of signs of Intracranial Hypertension (ICH).

Negative fecal exam for Taenia eggs.

PPD measurement and if positive (greater than 9mm induration in the absence of other findings or immunosuppression), negative smears for TB.

Willingness to use a specified form of birth control while on study medications and for at least 1 month following albendazole therapy.

EXCLUSION CRITERIA:

Primary generalized seizures (not caused by neurocysticercosis).

Patient with ventricular NCC.

Patients with subarachnoid cysts in the Sylvian fissue or basal cisterns excepting Sylvian fissure located cysts substantially surrounded by brain parenchyma by MRI.

Any vesicular lesion greater than 2.5 cm of diameter.

Previous therapy with albendazole in the past two years excepting patients treated with up to 1200mg albendazole two months or greater prior to evaluation who demonstrate continued viability of cysts.

Intracranial hypertension defined radiologically by CT or MRI.

A history of generalized status epilepticus.

Focal permanent neurological deficits.

Unstable vital signs - Consistently abnormal vital signs: body temperature, pulse (heart rate), respiratory rate (breathing), and blood pressure.

Cysts in critical regions including brainstem or eye cysts.

Pulmonary tuberculosis.

History of TB in the patient or history of untreated TB in close relative with whom the patient was living.

Chest X-ray suggestive of past TB.

Pre-existing diagnosis of diabetes.

Systemic conditions other than NCC that may affect therapy or short-term prognosis, including but not limited to chronic renal failure, hepatic insufficiency, cardiac failure, and steroid-dependent immune diseases.

Ill and not likely to survive a year from any cause.

Pregnancy during albendazole treatment.

Unwilling or unable to undergo MRI examination; has ferromagnetic objects.

Unwilling or unable to provide a CT scan initially or an MRI at 6 months, or CT scan at end of therapy or delayed CT scan if pregnant.

History of hypersensitivity to albednazole.

Breast feeding during treatment.

Hypertension at rest.

The patient is currently on corticosteroids, received corticosteroids within the past 2 weeks, or has had a course of corticosteroids within the past 6 months lasting 9 days or more.

Other CNS processes that may be confused with changes in CNS function due to cysticercosis.

Pregnancy as demonstrated by a positive (urine or serum) bHCG.

Clinical AIDS.

Positive HIV and positive PPD (greater than 5 mm).