Your current location:HOME >entertainment >Doctors thought woman, 77, had cancer... then they discovered she had a brain 正文
TIME:2024-05-21 08:39:52 Source: Internet compilationEdit:entertainment
A woman in China died from a rare brain-eating amoeba after doctors initially mistook it for cancer.
A woman in China died from a rare brain-eating amoeba after doctors initially mistook it for cancer.
The unnamed patient, 77, visited her local hospital in 2022 after complaining of dizziness, confusion and difficulty speaking for several days.
Doctors thought she was suffering from a brain tumor because her scans showed a lesion.
However, a lumbar puncture - when a needle is inserted into the spine to test fluids - revealed she was infected with Balamuthia mandrillaris, a single-celled organism that spreads to the brain and kills nine in 10 patients.
Doctors highlighted an area on the patient's brain scans that they at first thought was a tumor. However, it turned out to be a brain-eating amoeba
Balamuthia mandrillaris (B mandrillaris) is typically found in dust, soil, and water, and is thought to cause infections when it comes into contact with open wounds or being breathed in through the lungs.
The Chinese woman's medical team wrote that she likely became infected due to her rural surroundings, as she lived close to water sources like ponds.
The CDC has issued a warning against using tap water for nasal rinsing after investigating a spate of cases in which the practice led to deadly brain infections.
AdvertisementThe woman spent eight days at her local hospital, gradually becoming confused and increasingly unable to speak.
Over the next several days, her airway became obstructed, causing her to be put on a ventilator.
'Despite aggressive treatment measures, the patient's condition worsened,' the team wrote.
The patient died after her family chose to forgo further treatment.
Balamuthia mandrillaris was first discovered in 1986, and just 200 cases have been reported worldwide - 100 of which were in the US.
The CDC estimates that it kills 90 percent of patients, and early treatment is crucial.
Once it enters the bloodstream, the amoeba travels to the brain, where it causes the infection granulomatous amebic encephalitis (GAE).
It is a free-living amoeba, similar to Naefleria fowleri, which is found in warm water and has caused a spate of cases in the US over the past several years.
According to the CDC, early symptoms include fever, headache, vomiting, lethargy, and nausea.
However, as the condition progresses over weeks to months, it can lead to seizures, weakness, confusion, partial paralysis, difficulty speaking, and trouble walking.
The case report was published in the journal Heliyon.
What a blast to work at NASA. Space agency is sky2024-05-21 08:38
Van Thinh Phat chairwoman sentenced to death in Vietnam’s biggest fraud trial — Radio Free Asia2024-05-21 08:37
Chinese court sentences Australian Yang Hengjun to death with two2024-05-21 08:30
Westfield Bondi Junction evacuated after alleged stabbing and shots2024-05-21 08:29
College baseball notebook: Conference tournaments to decide NCAA automatic bids and many at2024-05-21 08:25
Chinese tourist tower overlooking North Korea could be demolished — Radio Free Asia2024-05-21 07:05
Free trade deal with India challenging but not impossible2024-05-21 06:53
Christopher Luxon, Anthony Albanese to discuss defence and security at first official meeting2024-05-21 06:52
Minnesota Uber and Lyft driver pay package beats deadline to win approval in Legislature2024-05-21 06:51
Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan gets 102024-05-21 05:54
Uber and Lyft say they'll stay in Minnesota after Legislature passes driver pay compromise2024-05-21 08:28
Chemo services to remain in Wairoa permanently2024-05-21 08:11
US regulator grounds Boeing MAX 9 indefinitely, flights cancelled2024-05-21 07:58
The engineer designing needles to euthanise whales2024-05-21 07:58
Russian theater director and playwright go on trial over a play authorities say justifies terrorism2024-05-21 07:53
Homes catch fire as lava spills onto town in Iceland2024-05-21 07:40
Doggy ballgowns, surveillance tech and cloning services for sale at China pet fair2024-05-21 07:17
Treaty referendum among issues raised with government at Waitangi2024-05-21 07:14
Supreme Court rejects an appeal from a Canadian man once held at Guantanamo2024-05-21 06:38
Tāngarākau campground murder: Justice Williamson2024-05-21 06:00