Even with all the medical advances, misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis still occur. Diagnostic errors affect an estimated 12 million Americans each year. Among the unfortunate (in this case fortunate) is Rachel Palma, a 42-year-old New Yorker.
When Palma started exhibiting aphasia and problems with coordination, she knew something was wrong. Her symptoms appeared to be progressive, till a point where she was experiencing hallucinations and insomnia. In times when she was able to sleep, "horrific nightmares" reigned. Furthermore, in terms of coordination, she stated that her right hand would suddenly stop working. "My episodes were getting more and more bizarre," she said. "There were days that I didn't know where I was."
She, of course, sought medical help. In fact, she consulted numerous physicians about her condition and several examinations were done on her, including taking multiple scans of her brain, yet no one could seem to help her. Until she consulted specialists at Mount Sinai - seven months after the symptoms began - someone able to help, wherein she was diagnosed to have a brain tumor. During a three-hour surgery, however, this was proven to be a misdiagnosis. Instead of finding a malignant marble-sized brain tumor on her left lobe, Mount Sinai surgeons discovered the real culprit - a tapeworm slithering around her brain, leeching off it.
