Thought it was a brain tumor causing severe headache... found a wriggling parasite

It's horrifying 😬😬😬

Photo = Provided by Seoul National University Hospital (News1)

 

A domestic research team successfully removed a Sparganosis parasite that originated in the brain through surgery.

 

According to News1 on the 30th, a joint research team led by Professor Baek Sun-ha of the Department of Neurosurgery at Seoul National University Hospital and Professor Park Hye-ran of the Department of Neurosurgery at Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital precisely diagnosed a lesion in a woman in her 40s who visited Seoul National University Hospital due to sparganum parasitic infection, and successfully removed the live parasite through craniotomy.

 

Sparganum disease is a very rare parasitic infection that occurs when larvae invade the body and travel to the brain through the bloodstream.

 

It can occur mainly when contaminated water is consumed or when raw wild animal meat or fish is eaten. When infected parasites migrate to the brain, initial symptoms include headaches and vomiting. Over time, it can lead to serious neurological problems such as seizures, visual field defects, and sensory abnormalities.

 

A patient in their 40s who previously visited Seoul National University Hospital came to the hospital with severe headache and vomiting symptoms. An initial brain MRI revealed an irregularly enhanced tumor-like lesion in the left occipital lobe, raising suspicion of a brain tumor. The medical team recommended surgery, but the patient refused treatment and was discharged after symptoms improved.

 

However, this patient returned to the hospital after 7 months with severe headaches and generalized seizures. The medical team confirmed through follow-up MRI that the lesion had migrated from the left occipital lobe to the left parietal lobe. This migration of the lesion became a characteristic diagnostic clue for Sparganum disease.

 

Medical staff considered parasitic infection due to the patient's history of drinking contaminated pond water in the past and consuming raw fish and undercooked wild game meat, and conducted tests such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The test results detected antibodies for sparganosis and confirmed inflammatory granulomas.

 

Accordingly, medical staff successfully removed live sparganum larvae through craniotomy.

 

The research team stated, "This case demonstrates that sparganosis infection can appear as a tumor on MRI, and prompt diagnosis and treatment are essential when parasitic infection is suspected." The findings of this study were published in the recent issue of 'Neurology,' the journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

 

Sejong = Reporter Park Kwang-beom (socool@mt.co.kr)