An Italian man named Angelo underwent a life-changing operation to remove a tumor weighing around 3 pounds from his face after living with the growth for nearly 20 years.
Initially, the 38-year-old's tumor was not noticeable, but as the years went by, the growth became so big that it began protruding from the patient's face. Eventually, the tumor, which affected the mouth, jaw, and oral cavity, significantly compromised his quality of life.
The large growth made it a challenge for him to swallow, eat and even breathe, making the surgery "absolutely essential," according to a statement released by the Galeazzi - Sant'Ambrogio Hospital in Milan, where he underwent the operation.
The condition that Angelo suffered from is known as ameloblastoma—a rare, typically non-cancerous, or benign, tumor that develops most frequently in the jaw bone. This type of tumor originates in the cells that form the protective enamel lining on the teeth.
While the majority of ameloblastomas are benign, they are frequently aggressive, forming a large tumor that grows into the jawbone. In very rare cases, these tumors can become metastatic and spread to other parts of the body.
At the beginning of their formation, ameloblastomas grow inside the bone, then, after some years, the swelling becomes visible on the external surface of the face as the tumor expands.
"Unfortunately at the beginning of the illness, the tumor is completely asymptomatic, Alessandro Baj, a doctor from the hospital's maxillofacial surgery unit who treated Angelo, told Newsweek. He said he had never seen a tumor of this size before.
Careful planning was necessary before the surgery. The patient first underwent a computerized tomography (CT) scan to obtain images that were used to create a three-dimensional reproduction of his skull. The medical team then used this reproduction to virtually simulate the procedure.
With the help of 3D printing, the team designed customized components—such as plates, guides and screws—that were necessary for the procedure.
The operation itself lasted around eight hours, during which time Baj and his team removed the tumor and reconstructed the patient's mandible using a portion of his own fibula bone from the lower leg.
"It is a demanding and complex intervention, also given the considerable size of the mass, but presents a low possibility of complications especially in young patients, as in this case," Baj said in the statement. "The success rate is very high, however it is possible to have a recurrence, therefore the post-operative follow-up will be five years, exactly as happens for some malignant tumors."
Despite the dimensions of the tumor, the patient's prognosis is good and he can immediately return to an active life.
"The face is our business card, the first element that people notice and remember about us," Baj said. "So for me it was important that my patient could recognize himself again by looking in the mirror, that he could find himself in that image, which for years has been disfigured and has caused him so much suffering."
