Rare ‘human tail’ successfully removed from newborn by GPHC’s neuro team
The neurosurgery team at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) recently removed a “very rare medical phenomenon of human tail” on a 10-day-old infant.
The unique presentation of a pathology such as the “human tail” is not only rare in Guyana, but the world. In such cases, this rare congenital anomaly mostly presents immediately after birth or in early childhood.
According to a statement from the GPHC on Sunday, this successful surgery was conducted on June 18, 2023, at the public hospital.
The 10-day-old baby boy was born with a tail which is basically a continuation of the spine/spinal nerve elements.
The ‘human tail’ attached to the infant boy
The GPHC medical team was led by Chief Neurosurgeon, Dr Amarnauth Dukhi, who performed a procedure to remove the tail and reconstruct the spinal canal of the 10-day-old newborn boy. This sophisticated technique required the protection of the patient’s spinal nerves.
Following the successful surgery, the infant has since been discharged from the hospital.
It was explained that this tail was surgically removed in order to allow the child an opportunity to develop normally.
“While a human baby having a caudal appendage resembling a tail generates an unusual amount of interest, excitement, and anxiety – often, parents may be concerned about the social stigma, superstition, or shame that may befall their young child when they are integrated into society,” the GPHC explained.
Based on current records, there are less than 60 cases documented in the medical literature of caudal appendage or the human tail.
The GPHC team headed by Chief Neurosurgeon Dr Amarnauth Dukhi during the survey to remove the rare ‘human tail’ from the infant
The human tail is usually considered a marker of the underlying pathology of peculiar spinal dysraphism. The reported presentations of spinal dysraphism include spina bifida occulta, meningocele, and spinal lipoma or tethered spinal cord. However, the etiological basis of the human tail is not clear yet.
Due to its extremely rare presentation, the occurrence of the human tail is a phenomenon of great interest to both the lay and medical community.
As a tertiary medical institution with a commitment to medical education and research, the GPHC pointed out that its Neurosurgery Department will be presenting this case to the global medical community for documentation and review.
