Woman, 47, has an 'astonishing' 9lbs tumour removed from her chin after it had been growing there for 18 years

December 8, 2018 20:02

Incredible before and after pictures show a woman's remarkable transformation after surgeons removed a mammoth tumour on her chin.

The unnamed 47-year-old told doctors the unusual-looking mass had been growing for nearly two decades before she had it chopped off.

Medics in Uttar Pradesh, India, where the woman is from, described the 9lbs 9oz (4.35kg) growth as 'astonishing'.

In comparison, newborn babies weigh around 7lbs.

They were so intrigued by the tale they decided to publish it in the prestigious publication, the British Medical Journal of Case Reports.

The team at Moti Lal Nehru Medical College in Allahabad claimed that such giant pleomorphic adenomas are 'very rare' in medical literature.

In the woman's case report, surgeons led by Dr Ashutosh Rai wrote: '[To] find such large tumours even in modern times is astonishing.'

They revealed how the woman put off seeing doctors for around 18 years because she was too scared to undergo the drastic surgery.

The woman, from Allahabad, sought treatment at the hospital in her town - 124miles (200km) south east of Lucknow.

She explained how the mass had grown slowly over the years – but dramatically sped up in the past 24 months.

The tumour even had discharge, however, it is unknown if the oozing liquid produced an aroma or what colour it was.

Surgeons did not reveal specific details of the life-changing operation to remove the woman's mass, which was around 12inches-long (30cm).

However, they revealed the patient recovered well and had no medical complications five months after the procedure.

Pleomorphic adenomas, also called mixed-tumours, are benign tumors that develop from the salivary glands.

They are the most common salivary gland tumour, figures show - making up around 70 per cent of all cases.

However, it is unclear how common benign salivary gland tumours are.