Tapeworm found in brain of Hanoi man after months of seizures

The patient reported experiencing daily headaches, temporarily alleviated by medication but consistently recurring. Several months ago, his condition worsened as he began having severe seizures, significantly affecting his ability to eat and sleep.

Doctors at Dang Van Ngu Hospital in Hanoi performed MRI scans and medical tests, revealing injuries to his central nervous system caused by tapeworm larvae, which explains his neurological symptoms.

"The patient's habit of eating uncooked herbs and raw blood pudding may have contributed to the tapeworm infection," a hospital representative said Tuesday.

The hospital handles tens of thousands of parasitic infection cases annually, many initially misdiagnosed as brain tumors or other neurological conditions. Patients frequently suffer for years before receiving an accurate diagnosis.

Tapeworm infections in the nervous system, medically termed neurocysticercosis, can cause memory loss, severe headaches, vision impairment, seizures, and in extreme cases, death if left untreated.

Infections typically result from consuming contaminated foods such as raw or undercooked meat and uncooked herbs.