A man who suffered severe stomach pain for months discovered the cause of his pain was a “giant tumor” growing in his abdomen.
The unnamed patient, who is the subject of an article in the American Journal of Case Reports, was rushed to the emergency room when his symptoms worsened.
At the time, doctors said he “appeared weak”, with an unhealthy pale complexion and cold extremities.
After his condition stabilized, he had a CT scan of his body, which showed he had a mass in the first part of his small intestine.
Surgery to remove the mass revealed that it was a very rare type of tumor called Brunneroma and was almost the size of a peach.
Photos published in the magazine show the mass after it was removed from the man’s intestine, and it measures 7.5 cm (3 inches) wide.
Due to its large size, the study authors classified it as “giant.”
Further tests confirmed it was not cancerous.
A man who suffered severe stomach pain for months discovered that the cause of his pain was actually a tumor the size of a peach.
Photos published in the magazine show the mass after it was removed from the man’s intestine, measuring 7.5cm wide.
After its removal, the patient was discharged from the hospital 11 days later.
A follow-up three months later showed “no disease recurrence or other pathological findings.”
The study authors note that “although the small intestine represents approximately two-thirds of the total length of the intestine, tumors arising from it are rare.”
They add that since the inclusion of brunneromas in the medical literature in the early 19th century, only 200 case reports have been published regarding the rumors.
Most people with bunneromas have no symptoms, but when they do, they are usually nonspecific, such as abdominal pain, nausea, and bloating.
The most serious symptom is gastrointestinal bleeding, and blood loss from the digestive system causes iron deficiency anemia.
The patient highlighted in the study had developed chronic anemia due to bleeding that had been present for approximately two months.
Chronic anemia is a condition in which the body does not have enough red blood cells to effectively carry oxygen throughout the body.
This presents a variety of symptoms including fatigue, pale complexion, feeling sweaty for no reason, headaches, chest pain, cold feet and hands, and nausea.
Removing the tumor helped treat the man’s anemia.
A scan showing the man’s tumor highlighted by a white arrow.
In their case study, the man’s tumor had spread further into his small intestine.
As most brunneromas are asymptomatic, they are often found accidentally during other internal investigations or when performing scans.
Regarding their location, the study authors point out that they are generally found in the first section of the small intestine.
In their case study, the man’s tumor had spread further into his small intestine.
Smaller brunneromas can be removed by endoscopy, which is a minimally invasive procedure that passes a long, flexible tube with a camera and tools through the mouth or anus to retrieve the mass.
For larger tumors, like the one the 39-year-old patient had, they say surgery is the best option.
Once brunneromas are removed, recurrence is rare.
Researchers are striving to understand more about these rare masses to allow for faster treatment.
They are said to realize 5 to 10 percent of all small intestine tumors, and patients are usually between 50 and 60 years old.