Published on
Updated
Reading 2 min.
in collaboration with
Dr Gérald Kierzek (Medical Director of Doctissimo)
The story of this 12-year-old child is surprising. While complaining to her mother about stomach aches, doctors discovered she had a tumor in her abdomen, filled with hair, teeth and bones. Explanations from Dr Gérald Kierzek, emergency doctor and medical director of Doctissimo.
A young girl named Ruby-Mae, living in the Dominican Republic, was only 12 years old when she was taken to hospital with severe stomach pain.
Her mother suspects pregnancy due to the swelling in her abdomen
She has a swollen abdomen, so much so that her mother even suspects her of being pregnant, as reported The Sun : “It was so scary that I rushed her to the hospital. I knew she wasn’t sexually active yet, but it still crossed my mind. When I looked at her swollen belly in the hospital, I said, ‘Is there anything you want to tell me?’ I couldn’t believe she had a tumor all these years. We had absolutely no idea or any sign of it.” relates his mother.
A tumor present since birth and which weighs 3.6 kilos!
By examining the young girl, and thanks to an abdominal scan, the doctors actually discovered the presence of a rare tumor. It is a teratoma which contains hair, teeth and bones, which weighs 3.6 kilos.
Asked about this interesting clinical case, Dr. Gérald Kierzek explains: “This is a dermoid cyst. It’s a benign tumor – also called teratoma – which arises from embryonic tissues, particularly germ cells. These cells have the potential to develop as stem cells, with the ability to differentiate into different structures and tissue types.”
“The teratoma may contain tissues and organs such as muscle, bone, fatty tissue, nails, hair, teethcartilage, hair, sebaceous and sweat glands, eyes and brain outlines” lists Dr. Kierzek. They are divided into two large groups:
- Immature teratomaswith a disordered structure, which rarely progresses in the direction of malignancy, but which grow rapidly and reach a discrete size in a short time, causing compression of adjacent organs and therefore pain;
- Mature teratomaswhich are a structure characterized by more complete tissues and organs – with skin, hair, teeth, muscle and nerve tissue – with slow growth and normally asymptomatic.
“Teratomas which present a malignant transformation exist but they remain rare, it is estimated that they represent 3% of all teratomas.” adds Dr. Kierzek.
The girl was operated on, everything is fine today
After this discovery, young Ruby-Mae underwent surgery. Now 16 years old, she has recovered well. His parents want to educate others about their story. “VSt’s so rare and unusual – I’ve never heard of it before. I guess it’s always important to listen to your kids and trust your instincts when something doesn’t seem right.” concludes the young girl’s mother.
Slide: Strange noises of the human body