A baby was born with a giant tumour that accounted for one-sixth of her body weight.
The 530-gram tumour was spotted by doctors during a pregnancy ultrasound scan.
The rare teratoma grew nearly four times its original size in just 10 weeks.
It measured 16cm in diameter.
READ MORE: Dog makes miraculous recovery after getting IMPALED on stick
The sacrococcygeal teratoma (SCT) developed on the infant’s coccyx.
Doctors at the Cheng Ching General Hospital in Taichung, Taiwan, removed the tumour nine days after the baby’s birth.
During pregnancy, they spotted the teratoma – then between 4cm and 5cm in size – near the foetus’s anus.
The medical team then monitored its changes, as reported by Need To Know.
Dr Lin Yu-Li said they had never seen a tumour grow at such an alarming rate on a foetus before.
It grew four times its original size in just 10 weeks.
The baby was born during the 33rd week of pregnancy, weighing 7.6lb.
An MRI scan confirmed that the tumour was a congenital SCT measuring 16.5 x 10 x 8cm.
The team carried out a 20cm V-shaped incision to successfully remove it.
It weighed 530g (1.2lbs), almost one-sixth of the baby girl’s body weight.
Tests showed that the tumour was benign and unlikely to return in the future.
Doctors pointed out the importance of attending prenatal checkups, as ultrasounds can detect foetal health conditions early, giving doctors a head start for subsequent treatment.
READ MORE: Couple burned and dismembered after being ‘cheated’ in car deal
