The patient, who had initially consulted the doctor for a typical neck and chest pain, accompanied by fever, underwent a series of comprehensive medical tests that led to the diagnosis of a rare form of tumour

Doctors at Fortis Memorial Research Institute (FMRI) successfully operated and removed 1.9 Kg tumor from a 17-year-old male patient’s chest cavity. The patient, who had initially consulted the doctor for a typical neck and chest pain, accompanied by fever, underwent a series of comprehensive medical tests that led to the diagnosis of a rare form of tumour - Thymolipoma (a condition in which the thymus gland grows in size and covers extensive portions of the chest and lungs). 

The team of doctors, led by Dr Udgeath Dhir, Director and Head of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery (CTVS), FMRI, managed to successfully operate and remove the rare benign tumor through a complex surgery.

Post admission at Fortis Gurugram, a high-resolution chest CT scan of the patient was conducted by Dr Dhir’s team, revealing a significantly large mass that occupied the majority of the chest cavity. The mass was putting immense pressure on the lungs and heart, as a result the heart and lungs were not functioning in its total capacity. The doctors recognized the urgent need for medical intervention and went ahead with a high-risk surgery to remove the massive tumour.

By making incisions along the sides of the lungs, the team of doctors strategically minimised the potential risks associated with accessing and removing the tumour. One of the most critical aspects of the surgery was the administration of anaesthesia. The medical team executed this step with meticulous precision, as inducting anaesthesia had high-risk factors and would have led to compression of the heart and a potential halt in blood circulation once anaesthesia was induced.

                                                           The 1.9 Kg Tumour 

Talking about the case, Dr Udgeath Dhir, Director and Head of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery (CTVS), Fortis Memorial Research Institute said, “Thymolipomas are rare tumors composed of fatty tissue and thymic tissues. Thymolipomas, although benign in nature, can grow to considerable size and cause compression of surrounding structures, leading to difficulty in breathing, chest pain, and other discomforts. In this case, the patient's quality of life was significantly impacted due to the size of the tumor. Using advanced imaging techniques and precise surgical planning, we were able to remove the Thymolipoma, while preserving the integrity of the surrounding vital structures. 

Dr Dhir further said that the procedure involved meticulous dissection and careful attention to detail, and we are pleased to report that the patient is recovering well post the surgery. "If such cases are not treated on time, the patient may have severe complications such as breathlessness, atrophic diaphragm muscles and reduced lung capacity. In this case, the chances of recurrence are very less as we removed the entire tissue which had the potential of re-growth,” he added.