Rare black brain tumour successfully operated and removed from 72-year-old woman

New Delhi [India], November 29 (ANI): A rare and complex black brain tumour has been successfully removed from the brain of a 72-year-old woman at Fortis Private Hospital in Delhi's Shalimar Bagh on Friday.
The delicate and rare surgery was performed by a skilled team of neurosurgeons, ensuring the patient's recovery and well-being. The tumour, which presented unique challenges due to its rare nature and location, was carefully excised without causing any damage to surrounding brain tissues.
The team of doctors led by Dr Sonal Gupta, Senior Director and HOD, Neurosurgery, Fortis Hospital Shalimar Bagh treated the patient via a complex dual brain surgery.
Notably, the incidence of rare black brain tumours is only 0.5 per 10 million population annually.
In October last year, the patient suffered from loss of consciousness with weakness on the right side of her body. A CT scan was done in Gwalior and she was diagnosed with brain haemorrhage.
She was treated conservatively and was gradually recovering. However, earlier this year, she suffered right-sided paralysis with difficulty in speaking, leaving her bedridden. A repeat CT scan and MRI were done in Gwalior, which revealed a recurrence of the brain haemorrhage at the same site and a much larger clot than last time.
Seeking advanced care, the patient was brought to the Hospital for an expert opinion. Upon detailed diagnosis, a bleeding tumour on both sides of her brain was diagnosed. Recognizing the urgency and complexity of the case, she was operated on in two stages - first surgery for the left side tumour and after 48 hours, the patient was taken up for a second surgery for a tumour in the bone on the right side of her brain. At surgery, the tumour was identified as a rare black tumour (melanoma), which is known to cause bleeding.
The first surgery lasted for 9-10 hours and to manage brain swelling, the patient was kept on a ventilator post-surgery. After both surgeries, a small portion of the tumour within the large vein had to be left behind as opening veins can cause dangerous bleeding and brain swelling.
After a month, the patient underwent radiotherapy for the small residual tumour. Post-surgery, the patient recovered well.
Explaining the rarity of the case, Dr Sonal Gupta, Director & HOD Neurosurgery, Fortis Hospital Shalimar Bagh said, "This was a very rare case of black brain tumour with only 0.5 per 10 million cases reported per year. Furthermore, two brain surgeries in the same admission, long hours of surgery with heavy bleeding, that too at the age of 72, posed huge challenges at various stages of the treatment. In fact, the woman had a pre-existing issue of spontaneous layer formation in the breathing pipe. So, she had to undergo bronchoscopic treatment after the surgery as such patients are put on ventilators during anaesthesia, taking them off the ventilator becomes very difficult. She would have succumbed to the tumour within months, if not treated on time. Now with complete therapy, chances of survival for the next 5 years is 70-80% and she is independent with no paralysis."
Deepak Narang, Facility Director, Fortis Hospital Shalimar Bagh, also said, "This was a case of a rare tumour, and the surgery was complex considering its location. However, the team of doctors led by Dr Sonal Gupta meticulously handled the case and executed the surgery with great precision and care. Such cases require correct diagnostic approach and management strategies, and Fortis Hospital Shalimar Bagh is well-equipped to manage such challenging cases." (ANI)