Expert: Claes-Gustaf Nordquist, M.D. - 12/28/2007

Question
Hi Doctor,
I have a question about the bone growth in my Mom's head.
She is saying that she found small lump a size of chickpea on her head (in the back side) about 2 years ago. then it was soft and when she asked a doctor about it, he said that there is nothing to worry and the bone is growing outwards from inside her skull. now it is almost the size of a key lime. we can see it clearly. now when she went to doctor again, he says that now it's hard and they can operate it and cut it. Can they  do  that?Is it really a bone growth?
It's my first time hearing such things...So I am worried about that. can you please reply me?


Answer
This seems to be some sort of bone tumour ON your mother's head (since she could feel it, so NOT IN her head). This is a surgical question and I'm not a surgeon. I'm a radiation therapist and medical oncologist with experience of treating BRAIN tumours (which this obviously is NOT)! So this is somewhat outside my field of expertise! Before surgery is decided I think it should be a good idea to 1. Make some x-ray studies of this thing and 2. Take a biopsy from it for studies by a pathologist. That way it would be known what this is before any other surgery is done! You can also let another surgeon look at it for a second opinion. However if it is growing it most probably should be taken care of! Good luck!