CHENNAI:
When Lekha Sri, 4, started taking only liquid food, her parents Bhaskar
and Radhika thought it was just a phase. But when she refused to take
any solid food for weeks together, the worried parents took her to a
city hospital where the child was diagnosed with a tumour, the size of
two fully grown apples, which was pressing against the base of her
brain.
Doctors said the tumour affected the functioning of hypothalamaus, a part of the brain that controls, among other functions, hunger and thirst. The girl has regained her appetite after a team of doctors at Global Hospitals removed the tumour.
The first signs of trouble appeared when Lekha Sri's growth came to a halt gradually and she began losing weight. She became too thin and refused to eat solid food. But she was always thirsty. When she was taken to a hospital, the tumour was discovered. The family then approached several hospitals, but none of them were ready to operate on the girl as they considered it a risky procedure. However, a team led by neurosurgeon Dr K Sridhar at Global agreed to perform the surgery and give the girl a second chance at life.
Describing the girl's condition, Dr Sridhar said the child had a tumour, called craniopharyngioma, located between two optic nerves. The tumour caused hypothalamus, which is linked to the pituitary gland and controlled many metabolic processes, to malfunction. "The salt and water balance in the body was thrown out of control. She also had diabetes insipidus, because of which she passed a lot of urine and in turn drank a lot of water," he said.
Lekha Sri underwent a brain surgery two weeks ago to remove the tumour. Doctors said she is recovering rapidly and has already gained two kilos, besides showing a remarkable improvement in appetite. "Usually such tumours can recur as some cells are not visible through the microscope and hence cannot be removed. But as of now she is stable and can lead a normal life," Dr Sridhar said.
Doctors said the tumour affected the functioning of hypothalamaus, a part of the brain that controls, among other functions, hunger and thirst. The girl has regained her appetite after a team of doctors at Global Hospitals removed the tumour.
The first signs of trouble appeared when Lekha Sri's growth came to a halt gradually and she began losing weight. She became too thin and refused to eat solid food. But she was always thirsty. When she was taken to a hospital, the tumour was discovered. The family then approached several hospitals, but none of them were ready to operate on the girl as they considered it a risky procedure. However, a team led by neurosurgeon Dr K Sridhar at Global agreed to perform the surgery and give the girl a second chance at life.
Describing the girl's condition, Dr Sridhar said the child had a tumour, called craniopharyngioma, located between two optic nerves. The tumour caused hypothalamus, which is linked to the pituitary gland and controlled many metabolic processes, to malfunction. "The salt and water balance in the body was thrown out of control. She also had diabetes insipidus, because of which she passed a lot of urine and in turn drank a lot of water," he said.
Lekha Sri underwent a brain surgery two weeks ago to remove the tumour. Doctors said she is recovering rapidly and has already gained two kilos, besides showing a remarkable improvement in appetite. "Usually such tumours can recur as some cells are not visible through the microscope and hence cannot be removed. But as of now she is stable and can lead a normal life," Dr Sridhar said.
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