Man dies of tapeworm cancer (not lunch safe)

Continuing the tapeworm theme:

NAPA (CBS SF) — A 26-year-old Napa man is recovering after a brain scan revealed he had a live tapeworm in his brain and required immediate surgery.

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http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/20...er-doctor-pulls-live-parasite-from-his-brain/

Tragic story. But, gosh, parasites are fascinating. If I had a dollar for every time I've been asked about Angiostrongylus and Schistosoma*, I'd...er...I'd be able to pay someone to stop people asking me about them.

*Neither of which are cestodes. But still jolly interesting.

I am so sad that I already gave my bio students their assigned article for their next writing assignment--something on genetic engineering. How boring compared to tapeworm tumors invading their hosts or Sac State students (this is excitingly local, since most of them plan on transferring there) with tapeworm cysts in their brains. Oh well, I can still assign this one next time, or at least discuss it in class on Monday.

I agree. Parasites are revoltingly fascinating. When I was a kid, my dad had this classic invertebrate bio book on the shelves in our study--Animals Without Backbones. I enjoyed looking at his old bio books, this one in particular, and my favorite chapter was the one on ph Platyhelminthes.

Someday I'm going to have a character named "Scolex" in a story.

Sounds like a painful way to die.

Except he didn't find out. He died before the CDC report came back.

I'm wondering if the hospital was treating him for the tapeworms and HIV. The article is unclear on what treatments he was actually receiving while waiting for the CDC report.

Sounds like a House episode.

Anyone else remember House? That was a goofy show.

Also: AGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHGHGHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Amazing show. House could have figured out the diagnosis.

Loved House.

A college friend of mine was a medical technologist at a hospital for many years. She said they had a patient one time with a tape worm. When they got it out, I think she said it weighed 20 pounds. Since the patient was over 250, I guess that's possible. Ugh!

MM