Man Suffers From Severely Swollen Penis For 17 YEARS Due To Silent Worm Infection

A man who suffered in silence with very embarrassing symptoms has finally been cured after a shock diagnosis.

The 72-year-old lived for 17 years with a severely swollen penis that made the organ appear partially erect at all times, as well as a swollen scrotum and left leg.

The anonymous patient was found to be infected with hordes of live microscopic worms that were causing chronic inflammation around his groin.

He lived in Switzerland but left Zimbabwe 20 years earlier, where infection is more common.

The man was given anti-parasitic medication, and two months after he finished taking it, his symptoms were completely gone.

The story was revealed in a case report published in the New England Journal of Medicine by doctors at the University Hospital Basel in Switzerland.

They said that when the patient came to see them, his level of inflammation was double normal, suggesting a serious infection.

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An antibody test came back positive for Wuchereria bancrofti, which are microscopic thread-like worms.

Infections are caused by mosquito bites, which transfer the larvae into the bloodstream.

Once hatched, they enter the lymphatic system, a circulatory network used to drain fluids. This carries them to other areas of the body, including the scrotum.

They then mature, mate and produce millions of offspring.

The Zimbabwean patient was prescribed diethylcarbamazine and a single dose of albendazole, two powerful antiparasitic drugs that kill the worms.

Two months after completing his treatment, he had no symptoms and no parasites were detected.

Parasitic worm infections are relatively common in tropical and subtropical areas, including parts of Africa, Asia, and South America. They are not present in the United States or the United Kingdom.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says people must be repeatedly bitten by infected mosquitoes over several months to become infected.

The organization adds: “Short-term tourists present a very low risk.

“(But) people who have lived for a long time in tropical or subtropical areas where the disease is common are at greatest risk of infection.”

Normally, worms do not cause any symptoms.

But in some cases, damage to the lymphatic system causes fluid to build up in the legs, triggering lymphedema. In cases where there is significant swelling of the limbs, patients are diagnosed with elephantiasis.

In men, parasitic worms can also cause swelling in the genital area.

The swelling can become so severe that it causes disfigurement and mobility problems for those who suffer from it.

There are estimated to be around 100 million active infections worldwide, with most of those infected living in sub-Saharan Africa.