Breakdancers or ‘breakers’ were today warned that their hobby could cause them to develop a strange lump on the top of their skull.
Stunning images showing the lesion called ‘rotary hole’ or ‘break lump’, which can also cause hair loss.
Doctors believe the condition, unique to the sport, is triggered when athletes repeatedly rotate on their skulls, the hard bony shell that protects the brain.
Sharing in an academic journal a case of a breakdancer who suffered the unsightly growth as a warning, doctors said such incidents may require “surgical intervention.”
The unidentified man, in his thirties and originally from Denmark, had performed various head-turning maneuvers for more than 19 years.
This condition, called “rolling hole” or “breakout lump,” also causes a lump on the scalp and tenderness. In the photo, MRI results of the man from Denmark, showing the tumor mass.
The sport made its Olympic debut this summer in Paris, making headlines after athlete Rachael ‘Raygun’ Gunn (pictured) failed to score a single point. The athlete performed the famous head turn, related to this condition.
Doctors believe the injury, unique to the sport, is caused by athletes repeatedly rotating on their skulls, the hard bony layer that protects the brain and shapes the head. Pictured, Rachael ‘Raygun’ Gunn
I practiced approximately five times a week, for an hour and a half each session.
During these sessions, direct pressure was applied to the top of their head for between two and seven minutes at a time.
Despite developing a lump on the top of his head, he continued practicing spins.
Only after five years, when the mass began to grow and his scalp began to feel tender, did he seek medical attention after feeling embarrassed at being seen in public without a hat.
MRI scans performed at Copenhagen University Hospital found that the lump measured 13 inches (33 cm) and that the skin and tissue around it had thickened.
Fortunately, a biopsy confirmed that the lump was not cancer.
Surgery to remove the growth was successful, but the surrounding skin tissue remained thickened.
However, at a follow-up appointment a month later, the man said he was happy with the outcome of the operation and felt able to go out in public again without having to wear a cap.
writing in the diary BMJ Case ReportsThe doctors said: “This case underscores the importance of recognizing chronic scalp diseases in breakdancers and suggests that surgical intervention may be an effective treatment.”
However, they noted that it is only the second case to be reported in a medical journal.
Breakdancers are prone to injuries due to the physical demands of the movements required.
Sprains, strains, and inflamed tendons are particularly common.
MRI scans performed at Copenhagen University Hospital found that the lump measured 13 inches (33 cm) and that the skin and tissue around it had thickened.
The Australian breakdancer, 36, became an overnight internet sensation after her wild dance moves at the sports show became the most talked-about moment of the event.
Injuries to the head and brain, including subdural hematomas (the collection of blood between the skull and brain), have also been reported.
But research, published last year in the Magazine of Dance Medicine and Sciencealso found that there was a “significant difference in hair loss” between breakdancers compared to those who did not.
American scientists said those who practiced more than three headspin sessions per week were significantly more likely to suffer hair loss.
Despite these concerns, breakers were less likely to seek medical attention.
It comes as the sport made its debut at the Olympic Games this summer in Paris, and hit the headlines after athlete Rachael ‘Raygun’ Gunn failed to score a single point.
The Australian breakdancer, 36, became an overnight internet sensation after her wild dance moves at the sports show became the most talked-about moment of the event.
She was hit by an avalanche of online ridicule and attracted the attention of global stars for her unique routine, which included hopping like a kangaroo and rolling on the floor like a snake.