According to reports (journalist Qiuying Li, correspondent Yan Peng), YaYa (a pseudonym) from Luoyang city in Henan province was found to have a cysticercus in her brain due to frequently eating raw fish slices. Yesterday, it was learned from Beijing Sanbo Brain Hospital that YaYa had successfully undergone surgery and has been discharged after recovery.
It is reported that YaYa, who just graduated from university, loves to eat raw fish slices regularly. Eight years ago, YaYa experienced headaches without any apparent cause, which varied in severity. She thought it was due to the stress of studying, so she didn't pay much attention to it. In the past year, YaYa's headaches became more severe, accompanied by dizziness, vomiting, and gradually subcutaneous nodules appeared on her limbs, chest, and back. She was diagnosed with "intracranial space-occupying lesion (fourth ventricle) cerebral cysticercosis" at Beijing Sanbo Brain Hospital, and a 2-centimeter-long cysticercus was removed during the surgery.
Professor Chunjiang Yu of Beijing Sanbo Brain Hospital introduced that cerebral cysticercosis often occurs in pastoral areas and is now rarely seen domestically. It is even rarer for urban residents to be infected with brain cysticercosis. Professor Chunjiang Yu analyzed that YaYa's cerebral cysticercosis might be related to her habit of eating raw fish slices.
It is understood that after consuming undercooked food containing cysticerci, the cysticerci hatch into adult worms in the intestines. The adult worms then release eggs, which are excreted outside the body through feces. If the patient does not wash their hands carefully when eating, the eggs can re-enter the digestive tract via the hand-to-mouth route. After hatching, they enter the bloodstream, spreading throughout the body, such as muscles and brain tissue. Therefore, subcutaneous nodules also appeared on YaYa's limbs and chest and back.