Indian teen gets 8-inch long tail surgically removed
- 8 years ago
NAGPUR, INDIA — A boy in India secretly lived with an 8-inch-long tail growing from his back, which doctors say is the longest ever recorded.
The Times of India reports that the boy’s parents knew about the growth, but feared social stigma and kept it hidden. It was only when the fleshy tail became painful that they finally sought a doctor in Nagpur.
Human tails typically result from a compression at the tail end of the back, and grow with age. If unchecked, they can lead to problems in the bladder and lower limbs.
At age 18, the boy’s 8-inch-long tail had developed a bone inside it and rendered him unable to sleep or sit properly.
Neurosurgeons successfully removed the tail, finally relieving the boy of his extreme pain and discomfort.
Similar cases of human tails have been reported in India, though the growth tends to be a rare occurrence.
A boy in Punjab was worshipped as the reincarnation of a Hindu monkey god because of the tail protruding from his back. The 14-year-old was born with the tail, along with a clubfoot deformity, and had trouble walking, reports The Daily Mirror.
He opted to have his tail removed last year, despite knowing he’d lose his monkey god status.
The Times of India reports that the boy’s parents knew about the growth, but feared social stigma and kept it hidden. It was only when the fleshy tail became painful that they finally sought a doctor in Nagpur.
Human tails typically result from a compression at the tail end of the back, and grow with age. If unchecked, they can lead to problems in the bladder and lower limbs.
At age 18, the boy’s 8-inch-long tail had developed a bone inside it and rendered him unable to sleep or sit properly.
Neurosurgeons successfully removed the tail, finally relieving the boy of his extreme pain and discomfort.
Similar cases of human tails have been reported in India, though the growth tends to be a rare occurrence.
A boy in Punjab was worshipped as the reincarnation of a Hindu monkey god because of the tail protruding from his back. The 14-year-old was born with the tail, along with a clubfoot deformity, and had trouble walking, reports The Daily Mirror.
He opted to have his tail removed last year, despite knowing he’d lose his monkey god status.