A doctor shows an X-ray to a patient with tapeworms all over the body and the Internet worries

Dr. Vitor Buren decided to use his social networks to tell the story of one of his consultations and ended up causing concern online. This is because an X-ray of a person with cysticercosis, a disease caused by eating tapeworm eggs, showed several white marks, which were actually the larvae of the parasite.

According to the doctor, the patient had been complaining of coughing for two months, and therefore requested a chest x-ray, which showed the presence of tapeworms in the arms and chest area. The condition is called disseminated or intramuscular cysticercosis and is characterized by the larvae infecting many organs or tissues, most commonly the skin, subcutaneous tissue, muscles, brain, and eyes.

The doctor explained that treatment depends on the presence of lesions within the skull, spinal cord or eye. “Initially, patients with cysticercosis outside the central nervous system who are asymptomatic do not need treatment,” he said. In the case of His X-Ray, “The lesions are calcified so they are not a live cyst. If it doesn’t cause any inconvenience, that’s life, ”according to the professional.

Vitor also showed his followers how cysticercosis is transmitted, which results from the ingestion of tapeworm eggs, found in the feces of people who carry the worm.

Unlike taeniasis, also known as tapeworm, the disease is not transmitted by eating undercooked meat, but by eating vegetables contaminated with these eggs. “Don’t you want to take it? Wash your food well before eating it,” the doctor confirmed.

He also explained that it is not recommended to take medications annually to combat worms in cases where these parasites are not present.