Indian boy 8 inch tail removed: A local boy suffering from a growth from his spine and revered as a monkey god has been allowed to resume a normal existence.
A local Indian teen revered as a ‘monkey god‘ is no longer after doctors removed a 20 centimeter (just shy of 8 inch) growth described as a tail off the base of his back.
The procedure comes after the now 18 year old teen began growing the tail over the past four years upon turning 14.
Despite the growth having caused the boy deep grief, Nagpur village locals worshipped the teen as the incarnate of the Hindu monkey god, Hanuman.
A report via the Indian Express told of the family’s reticence of the attention their son’s condition received but on the ‘stern’ recommendation of medics agreed to have the growth removed. Nevertheless the family refuse to have their identity publicized.
Doctors reckon the boy’s tail may have been developed in the womb as a result of a neural tube deformity only to appear outside only after the son grew up.
Notes wikipedia:neural tube deformity are a group of conditions in which an opening in the spinal cord or brain remains from early in human development. In the 3rd week of pregnancy called gastrulation, specialized cells on the dorsal side of the embryo begin to change shape and form the neural tube. When the neural tube does not close completely, an NTD develops.
Told the mother: ‘I had been taking him to doctors for routine check-ups but no one ever notified me about anything. My son was absolutely normal,’
‘It became a problem when the tail grew outside the body. He would just lift the tail every time he needed to change his clothes. I could see that it was very annoying and painful for him so I finally took him to a hospital.’
A team of neurosurgeons at the government Super Specialty Hospital successfully removed the human tail, apparently the longest recorded so far.
Responded, Pramod Giri, the head of the neurosurgery department and the team: ‘Though the family knew about this unusual growth, they did not see a doctor due to the social stigma and superstition attached to it.
‘Generally, the defect is detected very early as it is present from birth and since it grows with age it cannot remain undetected. But the parents as well as the child hid the fact all these years. The defect can be surgically corrected within few months of birth.’
Adding: ‘When the size of the tail grew and a bone developed inside it, the tail began to press on the boy’s back. It was cosmetically and psychologically disturbing for him. Hence the parents approached us.’
The neurosurgeon said the case was very rare and has since received calls for a presentation in a medical journal.
While also noting: ‘Though the family knew about this unusual growth, they did not see a doctor due to the social stigma and superstition attached to it.
‘His family and neighbors thought he was an incarnation of Monkey God Hanuman, so they never looked at it as a disease.’
The boy is now expected to remain under observation for a few days with his medication anticipated to go on for a couple of weeks until the pain subsides.
