Tapeworms in your Spine?

(Jacquier & Piroth, 2018)

A case presented in the New England Journal of Medicine shows what is called ‘vertebral hydatidosis’, which is caused by the tapeworm Echinococcus granulosus. The woman presented with weak sensation in both legs, weakness, and a history of falls. An MRI was performed and showed a lobulated lesion on the 9th thoracic vertebra. After testing it was discovered that the lesion was in fact a hydatid cyst characteristic of E. granulosus. E. granulosus is a tapeworm associated with intestines of dogs, but livestock and humans can be intermediate hosts during its life cycle. Most human cases are asymptomatic and the cysts are present in other less detrimental areas of the body. Vertebral hydatidosis is a rare occurrence, but goes to show that nature is always new, interesting, and scary as hell sometimes.