Oral cysticercosis as a challenge faced by dentists: a review

Oral Cysticercosis is a rare condition poorly documented in literature, however usually reported in endemic regions for the taeniasis-cysticercosis complex, such as developing countries, comprising areas with poor sanitation and population with bad hygiene practices. It happens when viable Cysticercus cellulosae, which is the larval form of the cestodeTaenia solium, affects tissues of the oral cavity. Its clinical presentation often mimicks other common oral lesions, being therefore, frequently misdiagnosed by dentists. This study aims to make a literature review on Oral Cysticercosis and emphasize the important role of dentists in making the correct diagnosis when Cysticercus cellulosae affects oral tissues. An active bibliographic search on the subject was performed in electronic scientific databases. The selection criteria adopted consisted in articles from open access sources, dating from 2000 to 2020 with the keywords. Hence, 40 articles were considered, of which 32 were case reports on intraoral cysticercosis, containing 69 patients in total. The lack of knowledge about parasitic infections and their oral manifestations is a contributory factor to the misdiagnosis of Oral Cysticercosis and consists in a crucial point in endemic areas, like Brazil, where parasitic infections of the mouth are deficiently discussed during the formation of dentists in universities.