A Florida mans agonizing migraines turned out to have a terrifying cause: actual brainworms.
Thankfully, the man was successfully treated.
The strange medical tale wasdetailedlast week in the American Journal of Case Reports.
A picture of tapeworm (Taenia) eggs under a microscope enhanced to show their internal structure.Image: Kateryna Kon (Shutterstock)
It was written by doctors from the University of South Florida and the Orlando Regional Healthcare System.
According to the report, the 52-year-old man had a past history of chronic migraines.
Given this new pattern of migraines, the doctors decided to run a CT scan of his head.
And thats when they discovered the clear presence of cyst-caused lesions on both sides of the brain.
There are two types of pork tapeworm infection.
These worms can cause gastrointestinal illness and weight loss, though people will often never experience symptoms.
The worms will also produce eggs that get pooped out.
And if the eggs eventually infect pigs or other host animals, the life cycle starts all over.
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