18-year-old female student has neurofibroma in dangerous location

Hanoi Oncology Hospital has just announced the successful surgery for patient TH, 18 years old in Tay Ho, Hanoi, who had a nerve tumor in a dangerous location.

Patient TH had a tumor in the back of her neck since she was 11 years old. When the tumor was still small, her mother took her to many pediatric and oncology clinics hoping to have it removed early. But each time, both mother and daughter returned disappointed because the doctor said the surgery was not possible because the tumor was in a dangerous location.

18 year old female student with neurofibroma in dangerous location, picture 1 — A neuroma that lasted nearly 10 years made the female student feel inferior and live in fear (photo source: Hanoi Department of Health).

Since then, H. has had to live with a growing tumor in her neck. She always keeps her hair long to cover it and avoid people's curious eyes. In the past 2 years, the tumor has grown rapidly, causing her neck to swell, making it difficult to move her neck, and sometimes causing pain in her neck like an electric shock.

Dr. Dam Trong Nghia - Head of the hospital's Head and Neck Surgery Department said that H. has neurofibromatosis - a rare disease.

H.'s case is even more special because it has both skin manifestations and central nervous system origins, making it easily misdiagnosed.

This is also a difficult surgery because the tumor is up to 8 cm in size, originating from the spinal cord, located right under the base of the skull, stuck between the skull bone and the spine bone, near the jugular vein that supplies the left side of the head and the neck muscles.

The tumor is located close to important nerves, so patients must face possible complications such as nerve paralysis, numbness, sensory disturbances, and brain damage.

Not only that, what the surgical team is most concerned about is the risk of massive bleeding due to rotting tissue that is difficult to control, threatening the patient's life.

After hearing the explanation, H. and her mother were still determined to have the surgery, placing their full trust in the doctors at Hanoi Oncology Hospital.

Before the surgery, the doctors performed an MRI scan to evaluate and consult carefully, and prepared detailed hemostasis plans. The surgeon had to make careful cuts down to the millimeter. The surgery went as planned, the tumor was completely removed, the patient lost little blood, so he recovered quickly, and the incision healed quickly. After the surgery, the patient had no sensory disturbances in the head and neck area, his movements were not affected, and he was especially satisfied with the aesthetic aspect.

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