TN docs save man infested with tape worms

A team of senior government surgeons in Tamil Nadu were shocked when they saw a CT scan report in which they found numerous “gunshot pellet”-like lesions all over the body of a 54-year-old patient, who was admitted for severe leg pain.

Adding to their shock, further test revealed that these were the nests of tape worm, which had spread to almost all part of the patient’s body, including his brain.

 Palani, hailing from Tiruvannamalai district, was admitted at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital in December with pain on his left leg. After conducting initial tests, doctors detected a block in his aorta, the vessel that carries blood from the heart to other parts of the body.

Vascular surgeon Dr Amalor Pavarnath, who spearheaded the surgical team, said: “We found out there is blockade of the major vessel aorta – as a result of which there was decreased blood supply to his lower limbs.

Though the blockade was confirmed, surprisingly, we found numerous gunshot pellet-like lesions all over his body after a thorough CT scan. Further, the test also revealed same multiple lesions in his brain, which is a rare occurrence and we had never seen that before.”

The doctor explained that immediate bypass surgery for the patient was risky since, during the operation, the cyst’s harmful particles will be released through the blood flow, leading to severe allergic complications.

Since these “cysticercus” cysts may further develop anywhere in the body, brain, lungs, eyes, muscles, heart and liver, they may lead to allergy and pneumonia, the doctor said. Before going for the bypass surgery, the patient was administered with anti-parasitic (to kill the living worms), anti-allergic and blood-thinning drugs.  According to Dr Amalor, usually the tape worms and their eggs will stay in the intestine of a person.

However, in the case of Palani, who did not had any knowledge and symptoms, they moved to the muscles and his brain. “After clearing 80 per cent of cysts from the body, the block in the aorta was cleared following a major bypass surgery using artificial graft,” he said, adding that Palani’s limb and life was saved. The patient will have to be under medication for two months to remove the rest of the cysts.