- Doctors found tapeworm eggs in man’s brain after he complained of migraines
- He is believed to have contracted the infection after eating undercooked bacon.
- READ MORE: Doctors horrified after patient’s scan reveals tapeworm infestation
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A Florida man who went to the doctor complaining of persistent migraines was found to have a parasite in his brain.
The unnamed patient, 52, sought medical help after his chronic headaches became more frequent over the past four months and his medications stopped working.
Scans showed multiple cysts in both hemispheres of his brain, as well as swelling, which infectious disease experts confirmed was the result of a pig tapeworm that had laid eggs in his brain and irritated the tissue under his skull.
He is believed to have contracted the disease from eating undercooked bacon after the patient told doctors about his “preference for soft bacon.”
Scans showed multiple cysts in both hemispheres of his brain, as well as swelling, which infectious disease experts confirmed was the result of the pig tapeworm that had laid eggs in his brain and irritated the tissue under his skull.
Doctors speculated that their patient contracted NCC after eating undercooked bacon.
The patient, from Orlando, told Orlando doctors that his regular medications no longer stopped the migraines, which now occurred almost weekly.
He said he had not traveled out of the country recently or eaten any raw foods, although he preferred bacon cooked lightly and not crispy.
WHAT IS A TAPEworm?
Tapeworms have evolved specialized ‘heads’ that carry an arsenal of spines or retractable hooks to adhere to the intestines of their hosts.
These parasites do not have their own intestine. Instead, they use their outer surface to absorb nutrients and excrete waste.
Beyond the “head” and “neck” areas, a tapeworm is just a series of segments, each with its own male and female sexual parts. Over time, they mature and produce eggs.
Tapeworms infest a wide variety of animals. Whales get tapeworms, and in these huge mammals, the parasites can grow up to 100 feet or more.
If left untreated in humans, the patient’s life may be in danger as the infestation may affect key areas of the intestine.
CT scans and MRIs showed multiple cysts on both sides of his brain. He was diagnosed with the parasitic infection neurocysticercosis.
The condition is used to describe when the larval cysts (closed sacs containing the immature stage of a parasite) of the pork tapeworm infect various parts of the body and cause inflammation.
The patient’s doctors believe the parasite entered his body through undercooked food and then traveled from the intestine to the brain through the bloodstream.
“Our patient’s lifelong preference for soft bacon may have led to cases of consumption of undercooked bacon,” the doctors wrote.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) estimates that there are between 1,320 and 5,050 cases of neurocysticercosis each year in the US.
A person can get it by swallowing microscopic eggs that come from the feces of someone who has a pig tapeworm. This is called autoinfection.
Living with someone who has pork tapeworm and eating foods prepared by someone who has it can also cause it.
These infections are more common in rural areas of developing countries where pigs roam freely and eat human feces, as well as where poor hygiene practices exist.
It is rare in people from developing countries such as the United States or the United Kingdom.
Symptoms of NCC depend on where the cysts are located in the brain, but most commonly include confusion, inattention to people and surroundings, balance problems, and excess fluid in the brain known as hydrocephalus.
The experts who treated the patient also noted that seizures occur in about 80 percent of patients with NCC.
These symptoms may begin months or years after infection, most often when the cysts begin to die.
Doctors said the changes in patients who have migraines should warrant more testing to rule out infections such as NCC.
“It is historically very unusual to find infected pork in the United States, and our case may have public health implications,” they wrote.
The patient was taken to the intensive care unit and given the corticosteroid dexamethasone four times a day to reduce inflammation in his brain.
He was also given albendazole and praziquantel for two weeks, which are used to treat worm infections.
The patient’s cysts disappeared and his migraines improved.
The case was published in the American Journal of Case Reports.