**4.4 Granuloma formation and calcifications in neurocysticercosis**

Granulomas are organized collections of immune cells that form in response to the presence of cysticerci. Granulomas typically consist of lymphocytes, macrophages, and multinucleated giant cells. The formation of granulomas is a host defense mechanism to contain and eliminate the parasite [15, 35, 36]. However, the inflammatory response can also contribute to tissue damage and neurological complications. As the cysticerci degenerate and the inflammatory response progresses, the cysts may be calcified [5, 15, 37]. Calcifications appear as dense, white areas in neuroimaging studies, such as computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The presence of calcifications is an important diagnostic feature of NCC [5, 15, 35–37].

Granuloma formation is a prominent pathological feature in NCC, which occurs in response to the larval cysticerci of the pork tapeworm, *T. solium*, in the CNS. Granulomas are organized collections of immune cells that aim to encapsulate and contain the parasite [5, 7, 15, 16, 35–37].
