Public Appeal

A child with haemangioma:
before and after treatment

Man with Growth on Face off to Australia for Surgery
By Linda Khoo Hui Li

KUCHING, April 26 (Bernama) -- After 18 years of suffering from a growth which covers most of his face, Christopher Budol is hoping to lead a normal life although he would have to go through a high-risk operation in Australia.

For this 33-year-old, he would rather face death on the operating table than having to suffer and be forever dependent on his parents.

Diagnosed as having a blood vessel growth disorder called haemangioma, Christopher said small spots, which he thought were pimples, first appeared on his face when he was 15-years-old and the growths have since spread all over his face, including covering his nose, to the extent that he now has to breathe through the mouth.

Christopher also has difficulty eating.

"I have suffered long enough. I cannot work because no one wants to employ me and neither can I go out because where ever I am, people will stare at me," he told Bernama when met at a relative's house here recently.

Christopher, who is from Spaoh, about 275 kilometres from here, said he was informed that the growths could be removed after meeting Dr Selva Kumar Subramanian for consultation at the Sarawak General Hospital last year.

"Dr Selva told me that the surgery is dangerous because it involves a lot of blood vessels and that I can die, but I don't care.

"He also said that I would also die because the growths are getting bigger and may soon cover my mouth. So, I might as well go for the operation to remove the growths," he added.

Although the cost of his operation will be borne by the Royal Adelaide Hospital, Australia, Christopher said he still needs to raise about RM20,000 for his flight ticket and to pay for his accommodation at the hospital.

He is appealing to the public to help raise the money, adding that he would leave for Australia as soon as his travelling documents were finalised.

-- BERNAMA

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Perhaps an airline could be persuaded to donate the airfare on humanitarian grounds and members of the public can donate some cash for his accommodation as well?

References:
Medical students are advised to refer to Hemangiomas and Vascular Malformations of the Head and Neck by Milton Waner (Editor), James Y. Suen (Editor)
and to publications listed here.

Quick Review for Clinicians

Notes:
A haemangioma is a non-malignant tumour which is made up of rapidly growing endothelial or vascular cells. They may be capillary, cavernous or mixed in origin. Usually these lesions appear at the time of birth, or shortly thereafter, as a small spot that appears pink or red. They may present on the face or elsewhere on the body.

Complications that may occur once these lesions have undergone rapid growth include bleeding, infection, mass effect and the possible obstruction of critical structures such as the mouth, nose, eyes or ears.

This obstruction would require early treatment which may include one or more of the following active therapies: laser treatment, injection and/or oral corticosteroids, the utilization of interferon, pressure dressings, or direct surgical excision.