Baby girl born in Brazil with six-centimetre-long 'human pseudo tail'
By Madhurima Haque|
A baby in Brazil born with a six-centimetre-long "human psuedo tail" ?attached to her back has had it safely removed.
Doctors believe the "tail" was caused due to a gap in the little girl's spine as a ?result of the condition spina bifida, which occurs anywhere along the spine where the neural tube does not close all the way.
The baby's 'tail' was generated up from the lumbosacral region, the area that connects the spine to the pelvis, according to doctors from Grendaac, a children's hospital in S?o Paulo.
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Surgeons were able to safely remove the appendage and close the hole, with pictures of and information on the case ?published in the Journal of Pediatric Surgery Case Reports.
Doctors continued to monitor the patient, who is now three years old and is "undergoing? a close long-term follow-up."?
The removal didn't seem to have many negative effects on the little girl, with doctors reporting: "During this period, she had three episodes of urinary tract infection that were successfully treated with antibiotics. No urinary anomalies have been discovered after further work-up."
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"She is currently able to walk and did not develop constipation, neurological deficits, or further complications," they reported.
The girl was born with what experts refer to as a 'human pseudo tail'?, which is a growth that resembles a tail but is caused by spine problems or tumours.
This differs from an actual tail, ?which contains muscle, blood vessels and nerves but no bones.
Researchers noted that: ?"Foetal caudal appendages are associated with spinal dysraphisms (spina bifida), and its presence therefore mandates careful screening for underlying spinal cord defects.
"Identifying of the numerous possible associated anomalies is critical to plan the correct treatment and offer good quality counselling."
They say that surgery is important to avoid further ?pain, torsion, further growth, irritation, breakdown, and perhaps most of all, stigma.
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