My neurosurgery teacher will always tell me that no matter how cocksure you are about the diagnosis of a mass on the head, you must conduct a skull x-ray! Thank you Sir Benitie. Mrs A, 36, has had a tiny swelling the size of a millet while she was barely a child, she couldn't even remember at what age she first noticed it. But over the years, she kept on tugging on it until it increased to the size of a small tomato veg. She didn't bother as long as she could cover her head with a scarf as it became more embarrassing and she lost self confidence. She says, "I am always shy and unhappy to go out with my head bare. I felt this inferior complex amongst people and even my husband but we didn't know what to do. We had visited many local doctors but were told they would have to cut through it and apply some concoctions. I was scared so I left it be." Last week, she felt a tinge of pain when she attempted to do her routine scarf tying. Her husband couldn't bear the pain and shame his wife was going through so he opted to seek for help one last time. He sought for a hospital and was told there was one in a distant village that have got doctors. He scavenged for his last resources and even sold his livestock and some food crops. Off they came to the facility. Dr Onyeka reviewed and examined them and settled for a lipoma. Called me and told me and my first response was, "can they afford an X-ray? Please let them do one" It returned a lipoma. Well I examined and thought yeah it could likely be. I had a little misgiving because it was tense and mildly tender. Good thing it wasn't attached to the underlying skull nor overlying skin. We went in and lo and behold, it was a cyst, a sebaceous one. We carefully removed the whole thing with its capsule and sutured the wound.
She was all smiles and happy. Confidence restored. Guess what, they paid a pantry sum to make matters more fulfilling for them! You see, this is an educated diagnosis and even better operation because we are doctors who have been trained. Now imagine we hadn't been around the rural area, what would have been their fate? The RDI is a very timely organization that is working day and night to close the gap in human resources in health as a result of a deficit in that line of care. Quacks will never disappear because nature abhors vacuums. People will always seek for help from whomever is ready to offer it, whether qualified or not. This is our second case in 2021, the first been a ganglion on the dorsum of the foot. Wait, no, third. The first was an acute appendicitis on New year's Day! It is with excitement and love we welcome you all to 2021.
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