For this eight-year-old boy from Tirupur, the swelling in his jaw initially did not cause much concern. However, it later turned out to be a rare form of cancer that had caused a rare, malignant tumour near the lower jaw.
His father, Yogabalan, a painter, took him to a private hospital in Perundurai. The Free Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) test performed there suggested that the boy had developed a cystic lesion.
He was referred to CMCH on April 10. The MRI scans revealed that a jaw tumour (ameloblastome) was growing rapidly. It had affected the entire right jaw from the mandibular condyle to the jaw line.
Medical Superintendent B. Asokan told journalists that this condition, while common among adults, was exceedingly rare in children. Only one in a lakh children below the age of 10 get affected by this condition.
An advanced surgical procedure called ‘segmental mandibulectomy’ was performed for the first time in a Government Hospital in Tamil Nadu.
Dr. Asokan, who is also Head of the Plastic Surgery Department, led the team that performed the surgery on April 12. He said that the risk factor was high in such cases and without proper expertise, the patient could experience difficulties in closing his eyes. His face could also become disfigured.
The boy recovered in three days and another reconstructive surgery will be performed when he reaches 16 years of age, depending on the growth of mandible in the left side.
Dr. Asokan said that the cost of this surgery would be around Rs. 4 lakh in private hospitals. It was performed free of cost under the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme.
