In an unusual case, doctors in Bengaluru recently operated on a woman who had a bulging growth on her head that was filled with what appeared to look like a "sack of marbles". Doctors at the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences detailed the "uncommon" affliction in the journal Radiology.
The unnamed woman, 52, told doctors that her protuberance had been growing on her scalp since childhood, but she never sought medical help until now. The doctors said that she presented with "a painless, gradually enlarging scalp swelling" that had ballooned up to nearly 6 inches long, 4 inches wide and nearly 5 inches tall.
An MRI scan showed the cyst on the back of the woman's head like a fleshy hair bun. Upon removing the growth, the medics noticed that the lesion was filled with fluid, hair, and fatty molecules with "thick outer rims", and balls of keratin of varying sizes.
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For the uninitiated, keratin is a protein that helps form the basis for hair, nails, and the outer layer of the skin. According to Cleveland Clinic, these small balls of masses are known in scientific circles as dermoid cysts. They are basically spheres of tissues that develop from embryonic cells and they can contain "hair, teeth or nerves". These globules often develop in the head and neck but may also be present in the patient's ovaries or other parts of the body.
It is still unclear why these congenital orbs sprout, however, according to the doctors they are usually harmless and painless. However, the gumballs can cause complications ranging from infections and damage to nearby bones.
AdvertisementIn the Bengaluru woman's case, the study did not disclose why the patient waited so long to have her swelling checked out, however, medics said that the growth was painless. After removing the growth successfully, the doctors kept tabs on her progress for six months, whereupon they noted that there was "no recurrence" of the growth.
