Mumbai: Doctors from the state-run St George’s Hospital near Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CSMT) removed a 10.4 kg ovarian tumour from a 40-year-old woman living near the Crawford Market area.
“She weighed 30 kg before surgery and, post-surgery, is over 20 kg,” said Dr Rajshree Katke, who operated on Meena Solanki nine days ago. “The tumour occupied space enough to accommodate five to six babies and pushed her organs,” the doctor added.
Huge ovarian tumours are rare these days because the majority of cases are diagnosed early during routine gynaecological examinations or as incidental findings. “But I presumed I got early menopause that was leading to a huge abdomen,” said Solanki.
Solanki, who is unmarried and lives with her mother and brother, said her friends would jokingly ask her if she was pregnant. A couple of months ago, she began vomiting whenever she ate. She became weak and malnourished; a social worker took her to St George’s Hospital for an evaluation when doctors found the huge ovarian tumour.
The 10 kg tumour was putting immense pressure on the intestines, lungs, liver, heart, kidneys, and blood vessels, said a resident doctor from the hospital. Studies have shown that huge ovarian tumours can endanger the patient’s life not only because of their risk of malignancy but because they can cause several complications due to their size.
“We are still awaiting the histopathology report. If the tumour is cancerous, she will need chemotherapy,” said Dr Katke. The patient has begun walking around the room and is awaiting discharge. Dr Katke in 2021 operated on a seven-month pregnant woman with a 10 kg tumour, while doctors in Bengaluru removed a 13 kg ovarian tumour from a 64-year-old woman.
