Gurugram, 4^th January 2023: Doctors at Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram successfully treated and saved the life of a 9-month-old baby from Iraq with Infantile fibromatosis. Infantile fibromatosis isa rare tumor which is mostly presented in adults and is rarely reported in children. A Multi-disciplinary team of doctors led by Dr Anand Sinha, Senior Consultant, Pediatric Surgery, Fortis Gurugram conducted a 10-hour-long surgery and successfully removed the tumour.

The baby boy had developed swelling on the right cheek when he was 2 months old, which started to grow rapidly since past one month. In Iraq, the child underwent medical investigations at a local hospital which revealed a large mass occupying the entire right side of the cheek, extending from the eye above to the neck below. It had destroyed the jawbone on the right side and also pushed the upper teeth to the left side along with blocking the airway and the food pipe. The hospital in Iraq could not reach a conclusive diagnosis and referred the child to Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram. Upon admission at Fortis Gurugram, the child was re-evaluated with an MRI of the face and neck along with ultrasound-guided biopsy, which revealed that the mass (fibroblastoma) had significantly increased in size, leading to difficulty in breathing and swallowing.

Giving details of the case, Dr Sushil Jain, Senior Consultant, Surgical Oncology, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram said, “The child underwent a tracheostomy (an incision in the windpipe made to relieve an obstruction to breathing. He then underwent embolization (a procedure that uses particles, such as tiny gelatin sponges or beads, to block a blood vessel) of the tumour to reduce the blood flow to the mass. After 72 hours of embolization, the child was taken for surgery. The tumour was removed which involved going through the jawbone while taking care of the eye, food pipe and airway. The hole created post removal of the tumor was covered by placing a skin graft from the thigh into the mouth and a temporary feeding tube was placed in the stomach to feed the baby evading the mouth. Before discharge, the temporary neck opening for breathing was closed and he was fed with the stomach tube. He recovered well and is now scheduled to undergo chemotherapy. If he was not treated on time, there was no chances of survival as the mass would have made it impossible for the child to breathe.”

Mr Mahipal Singh Bhanot, Senior Vice President and Business Head, Fortis Memorial Research Institute-Gurugram said, “This was a challenging case considering the age and condition of the infant. The multi-disciplinary  team of doctors from Pediatric surgery department—Dr Anand Sinha and Dr Arun Kumar, Interventional Radiologist Dr Saurabh Kumar, Pathology team consisting of Dr Sunita Ahlawat and Dr. Arun Kumar Panda,  Anaesthestia  led by Dr Balkar Singh, team of doctors at Pediatric Intensive care unit led by Dr. Krishan Chugh and Dr. Manish Kori, Oncosurgery team - Dr. Niranjan Naik and Dr. Sushil Jain and Plastic Surgery team led by Dr Amitabh Singh helped save the life of the baby. Currently, the child is undergoing chemotherapy under pediatric hemato-oncology unit led by Dr Vikas Dua and Dr Arun Danewa.”

Infantile fibromatosis is a rare tumor that grows in the skin, muscles, bones, and sometimes in the organs of the chest or abdomen. They are benign, which means they are non-cancerous and do not spread to other parts of the body, but these tumors may grow large and damage nearby organs. In children, the incidence is 0.2 - 0.4 per 100,000, out of which only 10-25% affect the head and neck.

About Fortis Healthcare Limited  

“Fortis Healthcare Limited – an IHH Healthcare Berhad Company – is a leading integrated healthcare services provider in India. It is one of the largest healthcare organizations in the country with 27 healthcare facilities, 4,300 operational beds and 400 diagnostics centers (including JVs). Fortis is present in India, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Nepal & Sri Lanka. The Company is listed on the BSE Ltd and National Stock Exchange (NSE) of India. It draws strength from its partnership with global major and parent company - IHH, to build upon its culture of world-class patient care and superlative clinical excellence. Fortis employs ~23,000 people (including SRL) who share its vision of becoming the world’s most trusted healthcare network. Fortis offers a full spectrum of integrated healthcare services ranging from clinics to quaternary care facilities and a wide range of ancillary services.”