A 60-year‑old man in Spain was initially diagnosed with metastatic brain cancer after imaging revealed multiple tumors.
He sought medical attention after two weeks of worsening headaches and subtle behavioral changes, and a CT scan showed abnormal spots resembling cancerous growths.
Extensive whole‑body scans, a colonoscopy, and specialized imaging failed to locate any primary tumor.
A detailed MRI later identified several fluid‑filled cysts in the brain, some containing the head of a tapeworm, confirming neurocysticercosis, a parasitic infection caused by pork‑tapeworm larvae.
The patient received a regimen of albendazole and praziquantel alongside corticosteroids to control inflammation, resulting in a full recovery without complications.
Investigators suspect the infection originated from accidental ingestion of microscopic tapeworm eggs years earlier, possibly during construction work alongside migrants from endemic regions.
The pork tapeworm can be acquired by consuming undercooked infected pork, which leads to an intestinal infection, or by swallowing eggs from contaminated food or water, allowing larvae to travel through the bloodstream to the brain.
Although rare, locally acquired cases have been documented in non‑endemic settings, indicating that domestic transmission can occur.
In the United States, fewer than two percent of neurocysticercosis cases are considered domestically acquired, and only a handful of confirmed local cases have been reported in Western Europe over recent decades.
The disease can produce serious neurological symptoms, including seizures, stroke, deficits, and cognitive decline.
Early detection can prevent unnecessary oncologic procedures and enable prompt, targeted antiparasitic treatment.
