Life-threatening tapeworm larva taken from the brain

Tapeworm larvae in the brain almost cost 26-year-olds their lives
In an emergency operation, US doctors removed the larva of a tapeworm from the brain of a 26-year-old man. The patient had gone to the hospital emergency room in Napa, California, with a terrible headache and severe nausea. Shortly after his arrival, much of the 26-year-old Luis Ortiz into a coma. The doctors found a cyst that blocked the fluid supply and removed it in their brain examinations. Inside the cyst, they discovered the larva of a tapeworm.

The treating neurosurgeon Soren Singel told US media that the patient was lucky. 30 minutes later he probably would not have been able to help. An immediate operation was needed to save the 26-year-old's life. The tapeworm larva was encapsulated in a cyst that "blocked like a cork in a bottle" the fluid supply in the brain, the neurosurgeon from the United States news agency "Associated Press" (Ap) cited.

The larva of a pork-banworm had settled in the brain of a 26-year-old. (Image: 7activestudio / fotolia.com)

Pork tapeworm larva in the brain
After Ortiz regained consciousness, the doctors told him that the larva of a pork tapeworm in his brain nearly killed him. The 26-year-old was shocked and "could not believe that such a thing had happened", reports the "AP". "I had no idea that a parasite in my head was trying to ruin my life," says Ortiz. His headache started in late August and at first he simply ignored himself.

At the beginning of September, he arrived at his mother in confusion after a skateboarding on a warm day, vomiting and having a severe headache, Ortiz continues. His mother immediately took him to the hospital. There the doctors were able to remove the parasite from the brain of the young man. However, Ortiz still suffers from the consequences of the tapeworm larva in his head. He had to break off the school, to learn new movements, driving is currently as little as working and in his everyday life, Ortiz is severely limited. But thanks to the therapy already clear progress can be seen, the young man continues. (Fp)