Teenage boy who complained of headaches shocked doctors with something much worse
More under this adDoctors were thankfully able to remove a fist-sized cyst from his skull.
If we needed concrete proof of the fantastic progress of medicine over the years, this is it. In India, doctors have indeed saved a young boy’s life by performing extremely complex surgery. And what a surgery: they had to remove an enormous cyst from the boy’s head. The meticulous surgery was a success.
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The shocking size of the cyst
The 14-year-old boy had been complaining about headaches and vomiting for some time. Far from a simple hangover, the young man actually had a fist-sized cyst located inside his skull! One can only wonder how his brain was able to resist such a protuberance.
More under this adMore under this adTaken straight to the hospital for an emergency MRI, the scan revealed the presence of the gigantic cyst. After analysis, doctors diagnosed the teenager with an echinococcal disease. A disturbing disease, to say the least.
Echinococcosis: an explanation
Indeed, this disease comes from a parasite, a tapeworm of the genus 'echinococcus'. The doctors then resorted to a craniotomy, they drilled a small hole inside his skull and removed the cyst.
More under this adMore under this adThis very complex operation was successfully carried out by the surgeons. They delicately separated the cyst from the brain, trying not to take out a piece of grey matter along with the abscess.
More under this adMore under this adA successful operation!
Fortunately, the operation went perfectly. The young boy was able to return to school and resume his activities as normal after a two-week recovery period.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than one million people are affected by echinococcosis in the world. Carried by certain animals such as dogs, the tapeworm can transmit this parasitic disease to humans, either by ingesting parasite eggs present on food or in contaminated water.
More under this adMore under this adA parasite transported by certain animals
As WHO explains on its website, we can also contract this disease 'after direct contact with animal hosts'. Knowing that the cysts produced by this parasite develop slowly in the body, it is necessary that they reach a certain growth before developing symptoms likely to alert us.
Infected individuals may therefore be 'asymptomatic' for many years. Eventually, they will experience vomiting and coughing due to the growth of the abscess.
More under this adMore under this adThis article has been translated from Gentside FR.
Read more:
⋙ This man's routine surgery revealed he has parasitic worms in his stomach
⋙ This baby had severe mobility issues, doctors couldn't believe what they found inside her brain
⋙ This woman died for 40 minutes, doctors were shocked by what they saw in her body
Sources used:
The Sun: 'Shocking images show doctors remove cyst the size of a fist from teen’s brain'
World Health Organization: Echinococcosis
The New England Journal of Medicine: Cerebral Cystic Echinococcosis