What began as a series of headaches for this Texas mother of two turned out to be far more serious than she had anticipated. After enduring severe headaches for over a year, Yadira Rostro of Garland, Texas, was diagnosed with tapeworm eggs growing inside her brain—a condition she later discovered to be the root of her misery.
Beyond the excruciating headaches, Rostro also suffered from frequent vision abnormalities, which progressed to the point where she was unable to see clearly in any direction. In early September, surgeons at Methodist Dallas Medical Center performed a procedure to remove a total of eight tapeworm eggs from Rostro’s brain.
According to Dr. Richard Mayrat, a neurosurgeon at Methodist Dallas Medical Center, the eggs had a transparent sac surrounding them and looked somewhat like eggs. “There was a small tapeworm living inside each sac,” he explained. Rostro believes she may have come into contact with the parasite during a trip to Mexico two years ago, though she hasn’t been able to confirm her suspicions. Her doctors suggested that the parasite might have entered her system through water or food contaminated with fecal matter.
Mayrat explained that, rather than passing through her system, the parasite managed to travel through Rostro’s bloodstream to her brain, where its eggs continued to proliferate, causing fluid accumulation and, subsequently, her persistent headaches.
Tapeworms, also known as cestodes, are flat intestinal parasites that resemble a tape measure. These parasites are transmitted through human feces and cannot thrive on their own, requiring a host to survive. Tapeworms can live in both animals and plants and attach themselves to an animal’s digestive tract if given the opportunity. In most cases, tapeworm eggs enter the human body through the consumption of food, often raw or undercooked meat, or through direct contact with animal feces or water contaminated with fecal matter.
While many people infected with tapeworms may be unaware of the infection, there are several signs that suggest a risk, such as fatigue, unexplained weight loss, diarrhea, and stomach pain. Persistent symptoms should prompt a visit to a doctor and, if necessary, fecal testing for diagnosis and treatment.
Despite the ordeal, Rostro—a 31-year-old mother—has made a slow but steady recovery. Dr. Mayrat expressed relief at her progress, while Rostro was grateful to have survived and remained healthy despite the trauma. She was horrified to discover that the source of her headaches and blurred vision was numerous tapeworm larvae sacs in her brain, of which she had been completely unaware.
Rostro first sought treatment for her worsening headaches nine months ago. After her symptoms persisted, she decided to consult with specialists. The horrifying discovery led doctors to perform surgery to remove the parasites from her brain. “I started experiencing headaches on and off, and because of my impaired eyesight, I often struggled to see clearly,” Rostro recounted. “I’d never considered the possibility of having something lodged in my head.”
During their investigation, doctors at Methodist Dallas Medical Center discovered that Rostro had several larvae sacs inside her brain, possibly acquired on her trip to Mexico. Her agonizing headaches worsened as the tapeworm eggs matured, and the resulting fluid accumulation intensified the pain. Dr. Mayrat described the sacs as looking like eggs with a clear sac inside, each containing a small tapeworm. He suggested that Rostro likely contracted the parasite by consuming food or drink contaminated with fecal matter, which entered her bloodstream and ultimately her brain.
Doctors filmed the procedure to remove the larvae from Rostro’s brain, a process both meticulous and distressing. While treating Rostro’s migraines, specialists were shocked to discover at least eight tapeworm sacs in her brain. The sacs were surgically removed by a team of brain specialists, who noted that the infection had caused her to suffer from symptoms like headaches, nausea, and dizziness for nine months.
Initially, doctors suspected the cause of Rostro’s symptoms was a tumor. However, after consulting with an infectious disease specialist, they recommended surgery, which revealed the less common source of her pain. “We discovered six to eight larvae sacs behind her skull and immediately removed them,” Dr. Mayrat stated. The surgery involved anesthetizing her face down, making an incision at the base of her skull, and carefully removing the sacs with the help of a microscope.
Dr. Mayrat believes that Rostro may have contracted the parasite during her family trip to Mexico, possibly by consuming food contaminated with fecal matter. Instead of traveling through her gastrointestinal tract, the parasite entered her bloodstream and ultimately her brain. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around 1,000 people in the United States are hospitalized each year due to tapeworm infections, though cases like Rostro’s are exceptionally rare.
Reflecting on the case, Dr. Mayrat noted that discovering a tapeworm in a patient’s brain was highly unusual. “I was taken aback,” he said. “It was out of the ordinary, something I hadn’t seen in a long time, but I’m glad we were able to help her in time and save her life.”
Following the surgery, Dr. Mayrat reported that Rostro was doing well and was not expected to suffer any long-term effects from the ordeal.
Similarly, doctors in Australia were also shocked when they discovered tapeworm larvae thriving in the brain of a woman who had been suffering from migraines for years. She had only been prescribed migraine medication until further testing revealed tapeworm larvae. Tapeworm infections can occur through the consumption of undercooked pork or contact with tapeworm eggs. A case report on the Australian woman was published in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, which detailed how the larvae had invaded her brain, occupying significant space.
Globally, according to the World Health Organization, the development of larval cysts in the brain due to neurocysticercosis can lead to neurological abnormalities. Fortunately, the Australian patient recovered fully and did not require further medical intervention.
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