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doctor at times see patients with such bizarre or rarefied weather that they chronicle the pillow slip in scientific journals to divvy up their findings . These aesculapian case reputation give us captivating insight into strange condition and how they are treated .
Here are 10 of the queer medical cases we covered in 2024 .
This year’s list of bizarre medical case reports features a variety of parasitic infections and an unexpected consequence of breakdancing.
Related : Our 10 left aesculapian vitrine stories from 2023
1. A worm was growing in a man’s brain after he ate undercooked bacon
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Bacon lovers , look off . A middle - senior man in the U.S. got a tight shock when he went to the doctor , complaining of a sick headache . It turns out , he ’d beeninfected with the larvae ofTaenia solium , a tapeworm that usually infects pigs . The larvae had implant themselves inside the man’sbrainin modest sacs , or cyst , cause him to have intumescence and pain in the back of his skull . MD hypothesize that he arise the contagion after eating undercooked , " flaccid " bacon and not properly washing his hands after using the lavatory .
2. A probiotic supplement caused a fatal bloodstream infection
People takeprobioticsfor various reason , including to advance ahealthy gutandimmune system . However , probiotic bacterium canoccasionally trigger bloodstream infectionsknown asprobiotic - related bacteremia ; this is most likely in hoi polloi who have a weakenedimmune systemor abnormality in their gastrointestinal tract . This is what happened to aman in his 70s in Japanwho was given probiotics to treat a bacterial infection , which , alongside multiple other medical conditions , led to his hospitalization . The bacterium within the supplement infect his bloodstream , and he developed multiorgan loser and died .
3. Live worms grew under a woman’s eyelid
In anotherparasitecase , a 41 - year - old cleaning lady inChinarepeatedly visit the hospital after feeling like she had something in her good eye . At her second sojourn , Doctor name she hadfour live , white worm wriggling around under her eyelid . The louse belonged to a species calledThelazia callipaeda , which causes the parasitical disease thelaziasis .
4. A woman discovered she had lung cancer after going blind in one eye
A 32 - year - old woman discover out she had lung cancer aftersuddenly going blind in her correct eyeand experiencing occasional flashes of light in her left eye for almost three weeks . Dr. ran several tests and noted that she had lesions growing in her eyes , as well as runny aggregation that caused theretinain her right-hand oculus to detach . A chest of drawers X - ray and whole - eubstance scan later revealed this was make by atumorthat had originate in the lower part of her rightlungand had later fan out to her eye .
5. A parasite lived in a woman’s eye for two years
This casing casts a whole new Christ Within on the question " Do I have something in my eye ? " For two twelvemonth , a 28 - year - old woman in the Democratic Republic of the Congo had a parasiteliving in her left eye . The critter , which typically lay its eggs in snake , had grow to about 0.4 column inch ( 10 millimeter ) long and embedded itself under theconjunctiva , the clear proscribed tissue layer of the heart , get her to grow a rare eye infection calledocular pentastomiasis . doctor suspected that she may have catch the sponger from eating contaminated crocodile meat .
6. A breakdancer developed a head bulge after repeatedly head spinning
A breakdancer acquire a big clod on his scalp know as a " headspin kettle of fish " after spendingtoo much sentence spinning on top of his head . The professional dancer report practicing head spins for almost 20 years and trained around five times a week ; each clock time , he spent around two to seven moment set up direct press on the top of his head . This caused him to develop the extrusion , which physician had to surgically remove .
7. Tuberculosis caused a crusty wart to grow on a man’s hand
A ill-humoured , giant , yellow wartthat produce on a humans ’s handwriting reverse out to be an immune response to an infection withMycobacterium tuberculosis , the bacteria that causes T.B. ( TB ) . TB normally attack the lungs , but in1.5 % of cases , it affects the skin ; this can happen if the bacteria enroll the bodythrough an open injury or abrasion . This character of TB can betreated with antibiotic .
8. A woman’s gut microbes brewed their own booze
A 50 - year - old woman ended up in the emergency room seven times over the grade of two old age with symptom such as excessive drowsiness and dim oral communication , which made it seem as if she were inebriated . However , she had n’t had a bead of alcoholic beverage . That stumped medico , though , because they could smell alcoholic drink on her breath . Upon secretive examination , they discovered that she had an extremely rare condition roll in the hay asauto - brewery syndrome , in which fungi in the bowel unrest carbohydrates in a person ’s diet into intoxicant .
9. A cyst in a man’s spinal cord triggered years of premature ejaculations
After a 32 - yr - old man spent aroundtwo years experiencing painful and premature ejaculations , doc discovered he had an ellipse abscess jazz as aTarlov cystcompressing nerves near the base of his spinal cord . These nervesrelay movement signal and deliver sensory information from the pelvis . Compression of these nerves can cause sexual disfunction , such as in this man ’s case .
10. Six family members were infected with parasitic worms after eating bear meat
— Fluid leak from scuba diver ’s blood vessels after 100 - ft cave nose dive in rarefied medical case
— Horrifying video recording reveals moult wanderer rustle in woman ’s capitulum
— Man burgeon forth thick , green ' pelt ' on his clapper in rummy medical suit
One of the parasitic worms that was living under the woman’s right eyelid.
A dinner at a family reunion ledsix kinsperson members to rise a worm infectioncalledtrichinellosis . This appears when people accidentally eat up the larva of aTrichinellaroundworm , which usually infects fauna such as bears , wild boars and wildcats . The family reportedly shared a meal that included dark bear ( Ursus americanus)meat , which was served rarified after being frozen for 45 days .
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A scan of the breakdancer’s brain, clearly showing the lump that had developed between the skin and the skull.
