Speaking to reporters of the People's Army Newspaper, a representative of the 108 Central Military Hospital said that the patient named D.VL, born in 1960, residing in Vung Tau city (Ba Ria-Vung Tau province), had a rare disease called malignant neuroblastoma, which accounts for only about 5-10% of all neuroblastomas.

In August 2022, Mr. L discovered a retroperitoneal tumor measuring 18cm and weighing 3kg and had it surgically removed at a hospital in Ho Chi Minh City. After post-operative surgery, doctors determined that it was just a benign lipoma.

Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Anh Tuan checks the patient's condition after surgery.

However, 5 months after surgery, the patient saw the tumor reappear, causing the abdomen to gradually enlarge, no pain but the whole body was tired, poor appetite. After that, he lost 6kg, had difficulty defecating, while the tumor grew very quickly, making it difficult for the patient to breathe and limiting movement. After being taken to the 108 Central Military Hospital, the patient was tested, had an abdominal CT scan and the doctor said there was a large retroperitoneal tumor, pushing the left kidney and ureter forward and inward, sticking to the left renal pedicle, pushing the abdominal aorta to the right, pushing the left colon and pancreas forward and upward, containing a special surgical fat component suspected of Liposarcoma.

After completing the procedures, recently, doctors from the Department of Digestive Surgery, Institute of Digestive Surgery performed surgery to remove the entire tumor. However, the entire left kidney and the left renal pedicle “seemed to be buried” inside the tumor, making it very difficult to preserve the left kidney. The tumor adhered to the abdominal aorta and the superior mesenteric artery, requiring the surgeon to be extremely careful when operating.

Image of the tumor on the patient's abdomen before surgery to remove it.

Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Anh Tuan, Deputy Director of the Institute of Digestive Surgery, said: “This is one of the largest tumors and is located in a very difficult surgical position that the medical team has ever encountered. In just a few months, the tumor has recurred and weighed up to 5.5 kg, measuring about 30 cm, occupying almost the entire abdominal cavity. In this case, the left kidney seemed to have burrowed into the tumor. If the left kidney had been removed, it would have been much easier to remove the tumor. However, we tried very hard to keep the kidney to ensure the patient's future life function, so the surgery was much more difficult.”

The doctor also emphasized that to prevent recurrence, the surgical team has carefully examined the abdomen to find any suspected locations of other tumors. In addition, the hospital is continuing to perform immunohistochemistry to determine exactly what type of tumor cells are present, on that basis, additional treatment options such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy or immunotherapy will be determined to limit the possibility of recurrence and prolong life. It is known that the patient has now recovered and can move and walk on his own.

News and photos: MAI HANG - CHIEN VAN