Sometimes doctors see patients with conditions so strange or unusual that they write these cases in scientific journals to share their findings. These medical case reports give us incredible insight into rare conditions and how they are treated.
Here are 10 of the most surprising medical cases we have made in 2024.
Related: Our 10 most surprising medical stories from 2023
1. A worm grew in a man’s brain after he ate uncooked bacon
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Bacon lovers, look away. A middle-aged man in the US panicked when he went to the doctor, complaining of migraines. Obviously he was infection of puppies a Tape scrapsa tapeworm that commonly infects pigs. The germs were hiding inside the man brain in small sacs, or cysts, that cause swelling and pain in the back of his skull. Doctors thought he contracted the infection after eating undercooked, “soft” bacon and not washing his hands properly after using the bathroom.
2. Probiotic supplementation caused a fatal blood infection
People take probiotics for various reasons, including promoting a healthy gut and the immune system. However, probiotics can sometimes they cause blood infections known as bacteria associated with probiotics; This is especially true for people with disabilities the immune system or bowel abnormalities. This is what happened to a a man in his 70s in Japan who was given probiotics to treat a bacterial infection, which, along with several other medical conditions, led to her hospitalization. The bacteria in the supplement infected his blood, and he went into multiple organ failure and died.
3. Live worms grew under the woman’s eye
In another parasites case, a 41-year-old Chinese woman made repeated visits to the hospital after feeling like she had something in her right eye. On his second visit, doctors diagnosed him with it four living, white worms rolling under the lens. The worms were of a species called Thelazia callipaedawhich causes parasitic thelaziasis.
4. A woman was diagnosed with lung cancer after going blind in one eye
The 32-year-old woman was later diagnosed with lung cancer he suddenly became blind in his right eye and sometimes he has flashes of light in his left eye for about three weeks. The doctors ran a number of tests and noticed that he had ulcers growing in his eyes, as well as a build-up of fluid that was causing retina in his right eye to release himself. A chest and full body X-ray later revealed that this was caused by a tumor which originated in the lower part of his right lungs and later spread to his eyes.
5. The virus stayed in the woman’s eyes for two years
This case sheds new light on the question “Do I have something in my eye?” For two years, a 28-year-old woman from the Democratic Republic of the Congo had the virus sitting in his left eye. The insect, which usually lays its eggs inside snakes, had grown to 0.4 centimeters (10 millimeters) long and burrowed under conjunctivathe clear outer layer of the eye, causing him to suffer from a rare eye disease called pentastomiasis of the eyes. Doctors suspected that he may have contracted the virus by eating infected crocodile meat.
6. A breakdancer developed a headache after repeatedly spinning his head
The professional breakdancer developed a large lump on his skin known as a “head hole” after finishing too much time spinning over his head. The dancer reported practicing head spinning for about 20 years and trained five times a week; each time, he spent about two to seven minutes putting direct pressure on his head. This caused him to have a wound that the doctors had to surgically remove.
7. Tuberculosis caused a painful itch to grow on the man’s hand
A rough, large, yellow wave that appeared on the man’s arm turned out to be an immune response to the infection Mycobacterium tuberculosisthe bacteria that causes tuberculosis (TB). Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs, but internally 1.5% of cases, it affects the skin; this can happen if bacteria enter the body with a wound or open wound. This type of tuberculosis can be treated with antibiotics.
8. A woman’s gut bacteria bring their own alcohol
A 50-year-old woman ended up in the emergency room seven times over two years with symptoms such as excessive sleepiness and slurred speech, which made it look like he was drunk. However, he had not been drinking alcohol. That surprised the doctors, because they could smell alcohol on him. When they examined him carefully, they found out that he has a very rare disease known as auto-brewery syndromewhere fungi in the intestines ferment the carbohydrates in the human diet into alcohol.
9. Tuberculosis in a man’s spine caused premature ejaculation
After the 32-year-old man completed his rounds two years of painful and premature dischargedoctors discovered that he had a round wound known as a Tarlov cyst pressing on the nerves near the base of the spine. These veins transmit movement signals and provide sensory information from the pelvis. Stress on these nerves can cause sexual dysfunction, as in this man’s case.
10. Six members of a family became infected with parasitic worms after eating bear meat
Dinner at a family gathering took place first six members of the family to be infected with worms called trichinellosis. This happens when people accidentally eat the larvae of Trichinella roundworm, which usually infects animals such as bears, wild pigs and wild cats. The family reportedly ate food that included black bear ((Ursus americanus) meat, which was served rare after being frozen for 45 days.
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