[Sportschosun reporter Jang Jong-ho] A man who had suffered from severe migraines for months was shocked to learn that a parasite had been found in his brain.
According to a case reported in the U.S. medical community, a 52-year-old male patient had a history of migraines, but about four months ago, the headaches became much more frequent and the pain grew more intense. When his condition did not respond to existing medication, doctors performed a computed tomography (CT) scan and found several fluid-filled cysts in the white matter of his brain.
Unable to identify the cause, the medical team carried out neurological tests. Blood tests showed no clear abnormalities, but Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) revealed swelling around the brain tissue. This is a warning sign that can lead to increased intracranial pressure.
Doctors then suspected neurocysticercosis, an infection caused by pork tapeworm larvae, and referred the patient to an infectious disease specialist. Further tests confirmed an actual brain tapeworm infection.
Neurocysticercosis is a parasitic disease in which pigs serve as intermediate hosts. It is usually transmitted to humans through contaminated pork or food and feces contaminated with parasite eggs. It is relatively common in areas with poor sanitation, but in the United States it is considered a rare disease, with about 1,300 to 5,000 cases reported each year.
The patient said he had no special exposure history other than a Bahamas cruise two years earlier. He denied eating raw meat, but admitted that he had "always enjoyed slightly undercooked bacon."
Doctors prescribed two types of antiparasitic drugs for two weeks, and his headache symptoms improved after treatment. Follow-up scans also showed that the cysts in his brain had shrunk.
However, the researchers said it was unlikely that eating undercooked bacon alone caused the brain infection. Undercooked pork more commonly leads to an intestinal tapeworm infection, or taeniasis.
They suggested that the patient may first have been infected with an intestinal tapeworm, and then developed Autoinfection when parasite eggs re-entered his body through his own feces due to insufficient personal hygiene, such as poor handwashing. In other words, the tapeworm in his intestines may have eventually spread to his brain.
Patients with neurocysticercosis usually experience seizures or convulsions, but this patient was unusual in that he showed only worsening migraines without any seizures.
"Migraines themselves are common, but if the pattern or frequency of headaches suddenly changes, a new disease should be considered," the medical team said. "In particular, if there is a travel history to endemic areas or other infection risk factors, a more thorough medical history and further testing are needed."
Reporter Jang Jong-ho bellho@sportschosun.com
