After a 46-year-old man was hospitalized for recurring headaches and seizures, brain imaging soon determined the cause: hundreds of tapeworms in his brain, likely due to eating undercooked pork.

In a press release issued by the Hangzhou hospital where the man is being treated, an MRI conducted at the First Affiliated Hospital of College of Medicine at Zhejiang University showed multiple space-occupying lesions in his brain along with tapeworms in his lungs and chest. When questioned by medical staff, the patient reported having eaten eaten hot pot — a boiling broth usually filled with assorted meats and vegetables (including pork and mutton which may have not been cooked thoroughly). Due to the reddish color of the spicy broth, there was no way to tell if the meat was fully cooked.While doctors depressurized his skull and "dewormed" the patient's brain with an aggressive regimen of surgery and medication, his long-term prognosis is still in doubt though he is currently symptom-free. Chinese officials have been urged to carry out more stringent meat inspections to reduce future cases.

Also known as neurocysticercosis, the condition is caused by accidental ingestion of pork tapeworm (Taenia solium) eggs due to food contamination. Once ingested, the eggs become established in the tissues as larval cysts and reach their mature size in about 3 months. At that point, they may then migrate to any part of the body, including the brain and the eyes. A milder form of the disease is known as taeniasis which mainly affects the intestines. In many developing countries, it is the most common parasitic disease of the nervous system and is the most common cause of acquired epilepsy around the world. Such cases are potentially fatal, including one eighteen-year-old man in India who died soon after being hospitalized despite aggressive treatment.

Even in the United States, the CDC reports one thousand new cases each year, mainly affecting poor and homeless people without access to adequate medical care and sanitary living conditions. Treatment can be expensive, especially in developing nations with limited medical facilities and among affected populations in developed nations who do not receive proper medical care. Diagnosing neurocysticercosis can also be difficult since diagnostic imaging and blood tests are not always accurate, especially in the early stages. As a result, treatment may be delayed until the condition is much more advanced. Also, because the symptoms vary widely, the treatment a patient may need can vary as well.

To date, neurocysticercosis can also go undiagnosed due to the stigma that often surrounds epilepsy in many cultures and the current limitations surrounding . Given that many people can be reluctant to seek medical help for seizures, the condition often worsens without proper treatment. Even when the tapeworms are successfully eliminated, epileptic seizures can still continue due to resulting brain damage and possible hydrocephalus. In such cases, patients may need to remain on anti-epilepsy drugs for life.