Rare life-threatening brain tumour removed from 53-year-old man after 7 hour surgery at Delhi hospital

Delhi, Mar 2: A 53-year-old man got a new lease of life after doctors at the Fortis Hospital in Shalimar Bagh here removed a rare kind of vascular tumour from his brain in a seven-hour-long surgery. Dr Sonal Gupta, Director and HOD - Neurosurgery at the hospital said an MRI revealed a large mass in the brain suggestive of tuberculosis.

Taking into account the large size of the tumour, a decision to remove it surgically was taken as medication wasn't helpful in reducing the size of the mass.

During the surgery, the doctors were surprised to discover a large mass full of blood vessels covering the left side of the cerebellum (which is small brain). An immediate surgery was performed to remove the mass which would have otherwise led to other health complications like coma, limb weakness and accumulation of fluid in the brain, the hospital said.

"We were shocked the moment we began the surgery as we saw a large mass full of blood vessels in his brain. Without further delay, the patient was taken for an angiogram which helped us understand the source of the blood supply to the tumour. "His reports confirmed that he was actually suffering from a rare kind of vascular tumour, medically known as Hemangioblastoma," she said. Hemangioblastoma is a benign, highly vascular tumour that can occur in the brain, spinal cord, and retina. It accounts for about two percent of brain tumours.

"After detailed discussion with the neuro-intervention team, we decided to go ahead with an embolization procedure which involves injecting glue-like material within the tumour to reduce the blood supply. But even embolization was difficult and only 30 percent of the blood supply could be reduced," Dr Gupta said.

It was a big challenge to remove the huge vascular tumour. However, with meticulous microscopic fine surgery which lasted for seven hours, the entire mass filled with blood vessels was removed without any major blood loss.

After two days in neuro-ICU and five days in the ward, the patient was successfully discharged. He is now able to walk without the support of a wheelchair, she said.