DOCTORS were shocked to discover a five-inch tapeworm had been eating away at a man’s brain for 15 years, it’s reported.
The 36-year-old man, from China, had developed the parasitic infection as a result of eating fried snails regularly for dinner, medics reportedly said.
Known only by his surname Wang, the patient claimed he had fallen in love with the Chinese delicacy in 2004 through his former boss who was a big fan of the dish, according to the Guangdong Radio and Television Station.
But a year later he started frequently vomiting and in 2007 he began getting a numb feeling on his left arm and leg, as well as muscle weakness.
His condition quickly deteriorated and Mr Wang was forced to quit his job after suffering regular seizures, according to MailOnline.
He also claimed to have passed out on a regular basis while family desperately tried getting medical advice from around the country.
Mr Wang spent the next 10 years going from hospital to hospital in the hope that he would get answers.
Then, last year doctors made the shocking discovery that he actually had a tapeworm in his brain.
They told Mr Wang that an operation would be too risky due to the position of the parasite and advised that he have non-surgical treatment.
But in September, Mr Wang suffered another seizure and he decided enough was enough.
Because the worm was alive all the time, it would have crawled inside his brain and eaten his brain
Dr Gu Youming
He went to a specialist hospital in Guangzhou in Guangdong Province where doctors told him the tapeworm was still alive.
It’s understood that Mr Wang then had a two-hour operation to have the tapeworm removed.
The parasite was found to be a Sparganum mansoni, which are often found in the intestines of cats and dogs – but rarely in humans.
Dr Gu Youming, a deputy director at Guangdong 999 Brain Hospital who treated Mr Wang, reportedly said: “Because the worm was alive all the time, it would have crawled inside his brain and eaten his brain.
“This could have left [Mr Wang] paralysed, or even endangered his life.”
He added: “[We] also had to make sure that we would remove the tapeworm whole. If any part [of the tapeworm] was left in the brain, it would grow back.”
Dr Gu said that he suspects Mr Wang had eaten snails or another exotic meat that had no been cooked properly.
Mr Wang is reportedly expected to make a full recovery.
