Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Doctor Shares Shocking X-Ray Of Person's Body Infested With Tapeworm Eggs From Raw Pork

Person in the kitchen handling uncooked slices of pork
aire images/Getty Images

Dr. Sam Ghali shared the x-ray of a patient after discovering their body was filled with calcified tapeworm eggs, a condition known as cysticercosis, from consuming raw or undercooked pork.

You may want to revisit your tendency of not washing your hands enough, or eating pork, after seeing this bizarre medical phenomenon.

A U.S. doctor shared an x-ray of a patient's pelvic area revealing their body was infested with hundreds of tapeworm eggs due to a major culinary fail.


ER doctor Sam Ghali M.D. shared his findings on X (formerly Twitter) as a cautionary tale to warn others of a possible outcome of eating raw or undercooked pork.

"Here's a video I made breaking down one of the most insane X-Rays I've ever seen," he wrote in the caption.

The accompanying clip showed the patient's x-ray of their pelvis, including the femurs shown bilaterally.

Ghali explained what the hundreds of peculiar white specs strewn about in the image were.

"Now what is jumping right out off the screen at us here is—this film is riddled with linear densities, and they're everywhere."

What ever could it be?

Our worst nightmare, that's what.

Ghali said the "innumerable" amount of the visible floating particles was a condition known as "cysticercosis."

He continued:

"Essentially these are larval cysts of taenia solium—also known as the pork tapeworm."

While the lifecycle of the taenia solium was "complex" to breakdown, he did say that their lifecycle begins with a person consuming raw or uncooked pork.

This leads to infection with the parasitic worms in the gastrointestinal tract, and their lifecycle continues with the infected individual passing the eggs along to another person who then consumes them.

"This cysts can travel anywhere throughout the body," he said, adding:

"In this patient, they’ve traveled heavily to the muscular and the soft tissues of the hips and legs."

He clarified that in this situation, the condition did not pose a life-threatening problem to its host.

Ghali also mentioned the discovery of the cysticercosis was made when the x-ray was taken after the patient fell and experienced hip pain as a result.

"These were all incidental findings," he said of the larval cysts.

Ghali explained that the tapeworms lodge and calcify over time, giving their appearance known as "rice grain calcification."

"The problem is, when these travel to the brain and lodge there, that can cause very serious issues," Ghali said, and listed symptoms such as headaches, confusion, seizures and "even death," as a result.

This gave the internet the heebie-jeebies.





Ghali said the moral of the story is a reminder for us to always wash our hands and "never, ever, under any circumstances, eat raw or undercooked pork."

Duly noted.




According to the Cleveland Clinic, cysticercosis is not that common in North America, however, "about 2% of emergency room visits for seizures in the U.S. are from cysticercosis."

One of the main preventions is to "wash your hands with soap and water frequently, especially after using the bathroom, after changing diapers, before eating and before preparing food."

They also strongly advise people to "wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly or peel before eating" and to avoid drinking untreated water.

More from Trending

Country Singer Gavin Adcock went on a drunken rant over Beyonce's "Cowboy Carter" success.
Danielle Del Valle/Getty Images; Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

Country singer rants over Beyoncé album

Country singer Gavin Adcock became the title of his next album, “Own Worst Enemy,” after going on an unhinged rant about the legitimacy of Beyoncé's Grammy-winning and record-breaking Cowboy Carter in the country music genre.

Adcock, whose upcoming album is set for release next month, was filmed during a live performance last weekend, complaining that Beyoncé and her album are not “country music.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Dionne Warwick; Tiny Chef
Astrida Valigorsky/Getty Images; @ToonHive/X

Dionne Warwick Is Ready To Go To War With Nickelodeon Over 'Tiny Chef' Cancellation

You know your campaign against a show's cancellation is achieving widespread attention when you get people like venerated singer Dionne Warwick advocating for you.

Nickelodeon's The Tiny Chef Show was recently cancelled, much to the dismay of its viewers and creators. It was also a genuinely surprising decision, since the show has won an Emmy.

Keep ReadingShow less
Woman relaxing in sunhat and sunglasses
Photo by Jordan Bauer on Unsplash

People Explain Which 'Small Luxuries' They Can't Live Without

Many of us have committed to being fairly financially frugal and not overspending on silly, unnecessary things.

That is to say, sometimes, it's fun to splurge on something one time to see what it's like to experience that small luxury.

Keep ReadingShow less
two women in emotional distress seated on couch
Ben White on Unsplash

People Who've Experienced Grief Share The Most Tone-Deaf Things They've Heard

Grief, loss, trauma are all part of life. But for most people, the emotions and reactions that go with them are difficult to witness.

So they rely on platitudes to fill any holes in conversation. That's rarely a good idea.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump
Mehmet Eser/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

Trump Demands 'Boss Of AT&T' Fix Equipment After Failed Conference Call In Bizarre Meltdown

When most of us have technical difficulties, we contact tech support or customer service.

But if you're President of the United States, just ranting on social media—then having your White House Press Secretary post a screenshot of your post on a social media platform people actually use—is apparently the answer.

Keep ReadingShow less