Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Doctors suspected man had brain cancer. He had worms

arstechnica.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

31–40 of 43 posts

Re: Doctors suspected man had brain cancer. He had worms

#31

Post by snootypoot »

busymom0 wrote: post #27
throawayonthe wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> NCC can be serious, causing seizures, significant neurological deficits, cognitive decline, stroke, and other problems. But it can also be asymptomatic. The severity depends on where in the brain the worms settle. Luckily for the man, the effects were relatively mild. Doctors prescribed him two anti-parasitic drugs, and he recovered. and here is the actual case report: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/32/7/26-0587…

Do the worms disappear after these drugs? Or they just die and are left in the brain?

they slowly decay and the immune system removes the remains. it can cause a toxicity shock called the herxheimer effect, the body often has symptoms when removing decaying foreign matter and the stored toxins they release. often parasite decomposition results in a sudden release of heavy metals and other things which accumulate in parasites. people try to use binding agents to aid in detoxing during this time to minimize fever and joint swelling and other signs of severe inflammation.

Re: Doctors suspected man had brain cancer. He had worms

#32

Post by aaron695 »

sva_ wrote: post #3

> The finding surprised the doctors since tapeworms aren’t endemic to Spain and he said he hadn’t traveled. However, the man may have been exposed during his work. Until 10-years prior, when he retired, he had worked in construction, often working alongside people who had migrated from regions where pork tapeworms (Taenia solium) are endemic. The parasitic worms can spread through the fecal-oral route. His doctors sp…

[dead]

Re: Doctors suspected man had brain cancer. He had worms

#33

Post by dlcarrier »

retinaros wrote: post #22
dlcarrier wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Half the time, there aren't any symptoms at all: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4621219/

I guess the symptoms might be super hard to identify. llike a cognitive decline on some functions.

Most of the time it's seizures, with headaches the second most common symptoms. Cognitive decline is a distant third and relatively rare.

Thru don't consume brain tissue or even live very long in the brain. The biggest problem is that cysts form around them, which can apply pressure.

Re: Doctors suspected man had brain cancer. He had worms

#34

Post by woadwarrior01 »

uh_uh wrote: post #24
tristor wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have often thought it might be a wise idea to do some form of prophylactic course against parasitic infections given my extensive travels, but this isn't something that's generally recommended here in the US and I've yet to meet a doctor who would be willing to prescribe deworming without evidence of an active infection. Is this something that's common in India?

AFAIK there is no prophylactic for pork tapeworms. I'd love to be proven wrong.

https://www.cdc.gov/taeniasis/hcp/clinical-care/index.html

Re: Doctors suspected man had brain cancer. He had worms

#35

Post by woadwarrior01 »

tristor wrote: post #23
woadwarrior01 wrote: post #14

This is a big fear of mine. I have a course of albendazole once every year just for this. It is de facto over the counter in India. I bought enough to last 4 years, the last time I was there.

I have often thought it might be a wise idea to do some form of prophylactic course against parasitic infections given my extensive travels, but this isn't something that's generally recommended here in the US and I've yet to meet a doctor who would be willing to prescribe deworming without evidence of an active infection. Is this something that's common in India?

When I was growing up in India, the family physician would prescribe single dose deworming syrup/tablets for kids, every year. I recently learned that Mebendazole is available over the counter, here in Ireland (also in the UK). But I have enough Albendazole from my trip to India last year, to last a couple of years.

Re: Doctors suspected man had brain cancer. He had worms

#36

Post by uh_uh »

woadwarrior01 wrote: post #34
uh_uh wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

AFAIK there is no prophylactic for pork tapeworms. I'd love to be proven wrong.

https://www.cdc.gov/taeniasis/hcp/clinical-care/index.html

These dewormers treat the condition after the individual was already infected. I don't think they prevent the disease. Additionally, taking Albendazole without anti-inflammatory meds can be fatal in case of an active infection. Reason is that if the cysts start dying the brain, the toxins released might cause swelling which can lead to neurological damage or death.

Re: Doctors suspected man had brain cancer. He had worms

#37

Post by avadodin »

sva_ wrote: post #3

> The finding surprised the doctors since tapeworms aren’t endemic to Spain and he said he hadn’t traveled. However, the man may have been exposed during his work. Until 10-years prior, when he retired, he had worked in construction, often working alongside people who had migrated from regions where pork tapeworms (Taenia solium) are endemic. The parasitic worms can spread through the fecal-oral route. His doctors sp…

The Taenia genus —among many other pork parasites— is —or used to be— endemic in the whole Iberian peninsula and all ethnic Spaniards eat raw pork meat.

I don't even know which mystery non–Spaniard dark–skins the doctor is trying to blame here.

Re: Doctors suspected man had brain cancer. He had worms

#38

Post by teruakohatu »

woadwarrior01 wrote: post #35
tristor wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have often thought it might be a wise idea to do some form of prophylactic course against parasitic infections given my extensive travels, but this isn't something that's generally recommended here in the US and I've yet to meet a doctor who would be willing to prescribe deworming without evidence of an active infection. Is this something that's common in India?

When I was growing up in India, the family physician would prescribe single dose deworming syrup/tablets for kids, every year. I recently learned that Mebendazole is available over the counter, here in Ireland (also in the UK). But I have enough Albendazole from my trip to India last year, to last a couple of years.

It’s available here in New Zealand over the counter in family sized packs of chocolate flavoured tablets.

Re: Doctors suspected man had brain cancer. He had worms

#39

Post by btach »

Saw something like this in one ER I worked at years ago. Guy in his 50's was brought in for seizures. Don't remember exactly where he came from, but it was some place where tapeworms from pigs was not unheard of. CT of head showed numerous cysts in his brain. I remember seeing the spots in his head being a bit smaller than in the imagery in the article and more spread out. Anyway he was diagnosed with neurocysticercosis and admitted. No idea what happened after, often I didn't get follow-up in the ER setting. Anyway, that... was memorable. Never ate undercooked pork before that, but after... never ever will.

Re: Doctors suspected man had brain cancer. He had worms

#40

Post by spwa4 »

tristor wrote: post #23
woadwarrior01 wrote: post #14

This is a big fear of mine. I have a course of albendazole once every year just for this. It is de facto over the counter in India. I bought enough to last 4 years, the last time I was there.

I have often thought it might be a wise idea to do some form of prophylactic course against parasitic infections given my extensive travels, but this isn't something that's generally recommended here in the US and I've yet to meet a doctor who would be willing to prescribe deworming without evidence of an active infection. Is this something that's common in India?

The medical world is wildly against this, because of course it will cause resistance in the exact problem your trying to help with.

Even within a single patient this is sometimes observed.

So yes, it helps. Until it suddenly doesn't. And the point where it suddenly doesn't comes faster every year. We have no real alternatives.

Post reply on HN