**2.6 Study selection**

**Figure 1** describes the review process and the number of articles selected at each stage of the review. From an initial number of 550 articles, only 121 were eventually used. The search selected by removal of duplicate studies from the title selection and studies performed before 1980. Secondly, another set of articles were excluded due to: (1) parasites other than *T. solium*; (2) studies performed in non-west African

#### **Figure 1.** *Flow diagram.*

countries; (3) articles written in languages other than French and English; (4) studies not presenting original data and/or the techniques and protocols performed on their studies and (5) studies not related to *T. solium* epidemiology and epilepsy in West African countries. Finally, when full texts were read, the following were selected. Community-based studies, case reports, HCC prevalence reports available, HCC diagnosis using the EITB and Ag ELISA, porcine cysticercosis using carcass inspection and Ab and Ag ELISA, Taeniasis studies based on Copro-Ag ELISA and stool microscopy, and epilepsy studies based on questionnaire, medical or non-medical sources.
