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Doctors made a horrific discovery while examining a Florida man seeking relief from his chronic migraines, WKRC reports. A study published in the American Journal of Case Reports last week revealed a 52-year-old man from Orlando had worm eggs festering in his brain.
The patient started suffering intense pain from his horrible headaches over four months. CT and MRI scans revealed severe brain swelling and multiple cysts on both sides of his brain. Medical professionals later discovered a tapeworm laid eggs in his brain, irritating the tissue under his skull.
The Orlando man was diagnosed with neurocysticercosis, which is defined as a "preventable parasitic infection caused by larval cysts (enclosed sacs containing the immature stage of a parasite) of the pork tapeworm," according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The agency estimates 1,000 new hospitalizations a year due to the disease.
Doctors suspect the patient contracted the parasite after eating undercooked bacon, a common method of infection as outlined by the CDC. The man also told medical specialists he had a "preference for soft bacon," reporters learned.
The 52-year-old was treated with anti-inflammatory medication and antiparasitic drugs. According to WKRC, his cysts went away and his migraines improved.