Briefly
- A 52-year-old man from Florida was admitted to the hospital with severe migraines.
- Doctors discovered that a tapeworm had laid eggs in his brain.
- The man was diagnosed with neurocysticercosis, a condition that can cause migraines, seizures and neurological problems.
- Doctors believe the tapeworm came from fried bacon that the man often ate.
- He was treated with anti-parasitic and anti-inflammatory medications.
A 52-year-old man from Florida was admitted to the hospital with severe migraines.
He said that for the past four months he had been experiencing worse migraines.
Doctors suspected that congenital cysts were the cause of the severe pain.
CT scans of the brain showed what doctors initially assumed were cysts, but they were not at the time.
This startling discovery was discussed in a peer-reviewed medical journal American Journal of Case Reports.
Much worse
Doctors say in the magazine that additional examinations, including an MRI scan, showed that there were not cysts in the man's brain, but rather something much worse.
The tapeworm laid its eggs in his brain.
The eggs were encased in themselves, and that was what gave the man such a violent headache.
I was immediately shocked
Migraines and seizures
The man was diagnosed with neurocysticercosis.
You can get cysticercosis after eating pig tapeworm eggs, which are excreted in the stool of patients with adult worms in the intestines, according to Healthline. The Great Norwegian Encyclopedia.
The larvae that develop from the eggs can settle and form fluid-containing blisters in many organs and tissues, such as the brain, heart, skin, and muscles.
When the disease is located in the brain, the condition is called neurocysticercosis.
Blame: Doctors believe too little fried bacon is the cause of a man's problems. Image: NTP
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Rare in Western countries
This condition, which can be life-threatening, can cause many symptoms, including migraines, seizures and neurological problems.
In many countries of South America and Africa, cysticercosis is the most common cause of epilepsy, according to the Greater Norwegian Encyclopedia, while the condition is very rare in the Western world.
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Blame the bacon
The man said he never ate raw or undercooked street food, but admitted he was very fond of eating uncooked bacon.
All raw meat contains bacteria. Some of these can make you seriously ill.
Chicken and pork should always be cooked.
Doctors write that they believe the man, “thanks to his penchant for lightly fried pork,” contracted the tapeworm from bacon.
The man was treated with anti-parasitic and anti-inflammatory medications and was asked to visit an infection clinic.
Roast Well: Doctors say that it is very important to roast pork well. Image: NTP
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Extremely rare
In the medical journal, doctors wrote that this case is a reminder that one must remember to fry bacon well — and that even rare and unusual illnesses can occur.
The researchers concluded that this condition is non-specific and can be easily overlooked, especially if there is a known neurological condition such as migraine.
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