The arrow indicates a tapeworm larva cyst found in the man’s brain/From The American Journal of Case Reports via CNN Newsource
2024.03.14 Thu posted at 14:16 JST
(CNN) Tapeworm larvae were recently found in the brain of a 52-year-old male patient in Florida who complained of worsening headaches. Doctors believe the man contracted the infection because he regularly ate undercooked bacon.
According to a case report published in the American medical journal AJCR, the man initially visited the hospital complaining that his migraines had suddenly worsened for four months. Almost every week, he complained, he was in severe pain and medication was not working.
A CT scan revealed multiple cysts in his brain, and he was referred to a neurosurgeon as congenital lesions were suspected.
After further testing, he was diagnosed with cerebral cysticercosis, which is caused by tapeworm larvae.
Cysticercosis is transmitted by ingesting tapeworm eggs that are excreted in the stool of a patient. The eggs turn into larvae that invade tissues such as the brain and muscles and form cysts. Neurocysticercosis is a leading cause of epilepsy in adults, especially in low-income countries where sanitary conditions are poor and pigs are kept free-range.
Although the man had no history of travel to dangerous areas or contact with pigs, it was learned that he had always preferred bacon that was “lightly fried and not crispy.”
Researchers believe that tapeworm larvae found in the undercooked bacon grew and laid eggs in the man’s intestines. It was concluded that the eggs in the feces entered the patient’s mouth and caused the infection because he did not wash his hands properly in the restroom.
After treatment with steroids and anti-parasitic medicine, the man’s headache improved and the cyst in his brain shrank.
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2024-03-14 05:16:00
