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Successful Operation Tree Girl freed from its growths
In Bangladesh, a few days ago doctors operated on a girl who suffers from a rare skin disease. The face of the ten-year-old was disfigured by the so-called "Baummann syndrome". Now she was freed from the growths.
First female patient with "Baummann syndrome"
According to media reports, a few days ago doctors in Bangladesh operated on a girl whom they consider to be the first female patient with the so-called "Baummann syndrome". The doctors removed in the surgery growths on the face and ears of the ten-year Sahana Khatun. According to the doctors of the University Hospital of Dhaka, the procedure was successful. The patient will hopefully leave the hospital soon.
Doctors in Bangladesh have removed from a girl growths from the face reminiscent of bark. The ten-year-old is probably the first female patient with "Baummann syndrome". (Image: andreusK / fotolia.com) Extremely rare skin disease
Doctors assume that the girl suffers from the extremely rare, genetic skin disease epidermodysplasia verruciformis, which is associated with an increased susceptibility to human papillomavirus (HPV).
As a result of HPV infection, it can lead to scaly patches of skin and nodules, especially on the hands and feet, which can sometimes take gigantic proportions.
According to Samanta Lal Sen, Head of the Department of Burns and Plastic Surgery, less than half a dozen people worldwide suffer from the disease associated with the bark-like growths.
All previous sufferers were male
So far, the patients were only men. But Sahana Khatun may be the first female sufferer. "We believe she's the first woman," Sen said, according to a report by the British "Guardian".
Another clinician involved suggested that the young woman may be a mild form of rare skin disease. And that she could therefore recover faster than other affected people.
Girl comes from very poor conditions
The girl's father, a worker from a rural area, said he was not worried at first when months ago the first growths appeared in his daughter's face.
But as they got bigger, he brought them to the capital for treatment. "We are very poor. My daughter lost her mother as a six-year-old. I really hope the doctors can remove the growths from my pretty daughter's face, "said Mohammad Shahjahan before the operation.
Whether the young girl actually suffers from epidermodysplasia verruciformis can only be clearly determined after further tests.
Five kilos of growths removed
The plastic surgeon Samanta Lal Sen has already had experience with the rare disease. Just a few weeks ago, with his team, he and his 27-year-old family man Abul Bajandar from Bangladesh had removed five kilos of tree-like growths on their hands and feet in a total of 16 operations.
The man, like Sahana, had been treated by the doctors at the university hospital for free.
Sen spoke of a milestone in the history of medicine in the context of successful treatment. If the growths do not recur, Bajandar would be the first person to be cured of the disease.
The doctors hope the ten-year-old Sahana will only need one intervention. According to Sen, her illness is still in its infancy. (Ad)