Doctors in Targovishte saved a man's life by removing 2 kg dog tapeworm from his liver

A team of doctors in the city of Targovishte, (Northern Bulgaria), saved the life of a man by removing dog tapeworm, weighing more than 2 kg, from his liver. The operation of the elderly patient took more than two hours, the management of the hospital said on October 9.

According to doctors, it is possible for the parasite to have been in the patient's body for more than 20 years. The infection was most likely transmitted from domestic animals, but the symptoms appeared at a much later stage.

For a long time, the 74 years old man complained about a sense of heaviness in the stomach and heartburn. The pains did not go away, and in the past few months became intolerable. He then sought medical help. During examination in the town of Omurtag, multiple cysts were seen and the patient was referred to a surgeon.

During the operation, the surgeons found dog tapeworm around several internal organs. The largest dog tapeworm was found in the liver and another, smaller one was found around the intestines. The team that performed the surgery included surgeons Dr. Dobrin Papurov, Dr. Stamen Stamenov, Dr. Veselin Tsankov and anesthesiologist Dr. Ivan Katrandzhiev.

The patient is recovering normally. He will probably be discharged from the hopsital in the middle of this week. He will be referred to the Institute of Parasitology in Sofia for monitoring and subsequent drug therapy, the hospital said.

Echinococcosis, also known as dog tapeworm, is one of the most severe parasitoses found in Bulgaria. The disease is risky because it is like a slow-growing tumour and can remain hidden for a long time, the specialists in the hospital specify.

Source: BTA