Gnanamba came to me with a slow-growing mass on the back of her head. Initially, she hadn’t been too concerned, as it was painless and left untreated even as it grew larger.
One day, she noticed a small drop of fluid oozing from the swelling, which prompted her to seek medical advice. Local doctors prescribed medications at first, but they didn’t alleviate her condition. One doctor suggested it was a lipoma and recommended consulting a plastic surgeon, as the size of the mass made it unsuitable for primary closure—something beyond the scope of a general surgeon. Another doctor suspected it might be an abscess requiring drainage.
When Gnanamba came to me, I considered the possibility that the benign swelling might have become malignant, possibly due to repeated trauma from daily combing. To investigate further, I performed a biopsy. Unfortunately, the results confirmed that the swelling had indeed turned cancerous.
The diagnosis of cancer added complexity to the situation. In such cases, it is critical to remove not only the tumor but also a margin of the surrounding healthy tissue and skin to ensure the malignancy is fully excised. This required meticulous planning.
We conducted a comprehensive evaluation, including a PET scan and other diagnostic tests, to confirm there was no metastasis. Once it was established that the cancer had not spread, we developed a treatment plan. This involved surgical excision of the tumor followed by reconstructive surgery using a tissue flap to restore the affected area.
Planning on a paper
The removed specimen was carefully tagged with side orientation, aiding the pathologist in providing an accurate report.
The histopathology report confirmed that the tumor was completely removed, with all margins clear of any cancerous extensions.
The procedure delivered excellent results, and once the hair regrew, the area became completely unnoticeable to others.
