Shocking images show doctors remove cyst the size of a fist from teen’s brain
SHOCKING images have revealed the moment medics extracted a huge cyst from a teenager’s brain.
Doctors in India said the youngster had escaped death after discovering the parasitic tapeworm.
The unnamed 14-year-old had been experiencing headaches and vomiting for a month before the gruesome discovery.
He was rushed to hospital where doctors performed an MRI scan, revealing a massive cyst.
After tests, he was diagnosed with a form of echinococcosis, an infectious disease caused by tapeworms.
It’s believed he contracted this after being in contact with infected livestock or dog faeces.
Humans can become infected through ingestion of parasite eggs in contaminated food, water or soil, or after direct contact with animal hosts, the World Health Organisation (WHO) states.
After undergoing a craniotomy, where a small hole is cut in the skull, revealing the brain, the large cyst was successfully removed.
Video footage shows doctors gently separating the cyst wall from the brain to avoid rupture.
According to local reports, the boy returned to school and resumed normal activities two weeks after being discharged – but the situation could have been fatal if left untreated.
More than one million people are affected with echinococcosis at any one time, the WHO states.
Because the cysts are slow growing infections, people with the condition might not display symptoms for years, the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) states.
Many people who are diagnosed will likely struggle with pain or discomfort in the upper stomach and chest.
You might also experience vomiting or coughing as a result of the mass growing, the CDC said.
Rupture of cyst fluid can lead to allergic reactions or even death, the medics warned.
The case study was published in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).