A social media personality and emergency room physician, Dr. Sam Ghali, recently posted a concerning computed tomography (CT) scan on X, showing a patient’s legs filled with parasitic infections after eating undercooked pork.
The patient was diagnosed with cysticercosis, a condition caused by ingesting the larval cysts of pork tapeworms. These cysts, found in undercooked pork, develop into adult tapeworms within the gastrointestinal tract over five to 12 weeks, leading to a condition known as intestinal taeniasis. The tapeworms produce eggs that are excreted in human feces, and if these eggs are ingested via fecal-oral transmission, they can cause cysticercosis.
Dr. Ghali explained that the larvae can penetrate the intestinal wall, enter the bloodstream, and spread throughout the body, affecting the brain, eyes, subcutaneous tissues, and skeletal muscles. Infections appear on CT scans as “rice grain calcifications.” If the larvae reach the brain, they can cause neurocysticercosis, resulting in headaches, seizures, and other severe neurological issues.
While the prognosis for cysticercosis is generally favorable, the condition can be fatal. Dr. Ghali highlighted that approximately 50 million people are infected with cysticercosis worldwide each year, leading to around 50,000 deaths. Treatment options include anti-parasitic therapy, steroids, anti-epileptics, and surgery.
Dr. Ghali emphasized the importance of hygiene and food safety, advising people to wash their hands regularly and avoid eating raw or undercooked pork to prevent such infections.
