When an 18-year-old patient was admitted to an Indian hospital with complaints of convulsions and severe headache, doctors for a very long time could not understand the cause of such a serious condition. The results of the MRI scan revealed something eerie: the man's brain was riddled with huge cysts!
But these weren't just cysts. The patient's condition is characterized as neurocysticercosis, which is caused by parasitic tapeworms - pork tapeworm Taenia solium. Each cyst is actually a capsule within which the parasite larva develops. Further examination showed that the cerebral cortex, cerebellum and even the brain stem were littered with these so-called cysticerci. In addition, ultrasound revealed the presence of larvae in the patient's right testicle and right eye.
When the parasite lays eggs, they travel through the bloodstream throughout the body and attach to muscle tissue. The victim may not experience any symptoms for years, until one day the inhabitants of his body develop enough to cause a strong inflammatory response. Due to the abundance of parasites, doctors were not even able to prescribe conventional anthelmintic drugs - this could provoke such a strong inflammation that could kill the patient.
Doctors tried to save the patient by giving him corticosteroids and antiepileptic drugs to reduce inflammation and reduce seizures. Alas, this did not help: after two weeks, the patient still died. Neurocysticercosis, like any other infection with parasites, is, first of all, a bright marker of a low standard of living, non-observance of sanitary standards and hygiene rules. Most often, infection occurs through eating the meat of an animal carrier, in the muscle fibers of which cysts of parasites are waiting in the wings.
Vasily Makarov