90-Pound Mucus-Tumor Removed from Belly of Brazilian Woman

Over ten years ago, an 88-pound mucus tumor was removed from a 57-year-old Brazilian woman after she complained about an unusually expanding waistline. Her medical case was officially published last week.

The Journal of Medical Case Reports published the case written by Vitorino M dos Santos. After conducting an ultrasound of the woman's stomach, the doctors found a mucus-filled mass, extending all the way up to her diaphragm. The mucus-filled tumor had pushed her uterus aside and compressed her abdominal contents.

An abdominal ultrasonography showed an immense cystic abdominal-pelvic mass with thick walls, indicating the likely presence of an ovarian tumor. This is believed to have contributed to her complains of shallow breathing and an ever-growing waistline (52 inches).

The removal of the tumor required multiple procedures, and chemotherapy was performed following the completion of the surgeries because the tumor had showed signed of early-stage cancer. Ten years following these medical procedures, the woman is fine and has no remaining symptoms.

The report listed the surgical procedures as followed: intact removal of the right ovarian tumor along with her normal right fallopian tube; left adnexal resection; total hysterectomy; omentectomy; para aortic; and pelvic lymph node dissection to stage the disease. Following the surgeries, sampling of lymph nodes and the ascitic fluid for routine tests and cytopathological evaluations took place.

The 16.5" by 15.7" by 11" tumor was an aberration in the world of ovarian cysts. These cysts are common in women aged 30 to 50 years of age and are typically benign. The symptoms are similar to what the Brazilian woman felt: bloating, heaviness, pressure in the abdominal region (usually around the bladder), and general pain. These cysts grow until they meet resistance from the abdominal wall, Dr. Jonathan Herman told Live Science, but in this unusual case the growth was unabated.

Visit the links above to read more about the medical report and summary of the bizarre 90-pound mucus-tumor.