Columbia Asia Hospital at Hebbal in Bengaluru has treated cysticercosis which is a parasitic infestation by pork tapeworm and a leading cause of multiorgan infections. A 34-year-old patient was suffering from intermittent hoarseness of voice since two years and the hospital performed a two-hour long microlaryngeal surgery to remove the tape worm.

While the patient had no history of throat pain or voice abuse, the situation turned worse when he started having excruciating pain and could barely manage to talk. Involvement of the vocal cords or voice box by cysticercus is a rare occurrence. Only two or three cases have been reported across the globe. Confirmatory diagnosis is usually done by histological examination from affected part.

Dr Santosh S Consultant ENT, Head and Neck Surgeon, Columbia Asia Hospital, Hebbal, Bangalore who led the team said that examination and investigation indicated that there was a grayish semi transparent mass inside the voice box.

“The mass was a parasitic infestation caused by a tapeworm found in the intestines of pigs and a leading cause of multi-organ infections,” said Dr Santosh.

What made it challenging was the fact that the worm was lodged right in his voice box. In a two hour long microlaryngeal surgery, the worm was removed from his vocal cord. The patient has recovered extremely well, has recovered his normal voice and has resumed a normal life, he added.

Cysticercosis is no longer an endemic disease but is now a global issue  because of immigration from endemic areas. Tapeworm infestation is commonly seen in developing countries due to a combination of factors like crowding and poor sanitation leading to faecal contamination of food and water, close contact between humans and pigs and thus more opportunities for transmission of disease. Tapeworm infestation is common in rural areas than in urban areas, due to lack of a proper sewerage system and lesser access to health care. Infestation with the adult worm takes place by the ingestion of uncooked or poorly-cooked pork containing encysted larvae of tape worm, Taenia solium.

Columbia Asia Hospitals Pvt. Ltd. is one of the first healthcare companies to enter the country through 100 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) route. The Group is owned by more than 150 private equity companies, fund management organizations and individual investors. It currently operates six multi-specialty community hospitals, one referral hospital and one clinic in India. The company also operates hospitals in Malaysia (10), Vietnam (three), and Indonesia (one). The Indian management operations are managed from Bengaluru.