Worm Removed From Woman's Brain

A doctor operating on a 37-year-old Phoenix woman thought to have a brain tumor found something entirely different: a parasitic worm.

ABC News reports that Rosemary Alvarez, who underwent the procedure last summer after experiencing difficulty swallowing and numbness in her left arm, had a tapeworm called Taenia solium inside her head.

It turns out Alvarez likely contracted the tapeworm at some point by eating food tainted with the feces of a person infected with the parasite. "It wasn't that she had poor hygiene, she was just a victim," said neurosurgeon Peter Nakaji, who ended up extracting the worm.

With the exception of a numb feeling in the back of her head, Alvarez has recovered nicely since the operation and is back to living a normal life.

Watch the video below to find out more about Alvarez's ordeal and tell us whether you've ever had a tapeworm.-AOL