‘Gosh, what is that?’: Surgeon recalls finding live worm in Australian woman’s brain

Australian surgeon Dr Hari Priya Bandi has recalled her shock at finding a live worm in a patient’s brain.

The “string-like structure” was pulled from a 64-year-old woman’s damaged frontal lobe during surgery in Canberra last year.

She had suffered symptoms including stomach pain, a cough and night sweats, which evolved into forgetfulness and depression, before being admitted to hospital in January 2021.

“I pulled it out and I thought, ‘Gosh, what’s that, it’s moving,’” Dr Bandi recalled, detailing the biopsy.

Doctors believe the red parasite could have been alive in the woman’s brain for up to two months.

The patient, who lives in New South Wales, is recovering well.