14-Year-Old Boy Has a Giant 10-Pound Tumor on His Nose

What began as a growth that seemed to be a pimple just two years ago has turned into a 10-pound tumor on a 14-year-old boy’s nose. Emanuel Zayas, who was born in Cuba, has a rare disorder that causes his body to create scar-like tissue rather than bone. Four surgeons and their team intend to remove the mass from the boy’s face next month at Holtz Children’s Hospital in Miami.

The tumor, which is not cancerous, is still deadly. Due to its enormous size and weight, it threatens to fracture the boy’s neck. The basketball-sized mass also presses into his trachea, making it very difficult for him to eat and swallow. As a result, he is undernourished.

Emanuel Zayas was 11 when he found what he thought was a zit on his face. Later IDd as a #tumor, it has grown to be a 10 lb. ossifying #fibroma in a matter of just three years.

TODAY: @UMiamiHealth doctors discuss lifesaving surgery in early 2018. pic.twitter.com/RlVejbLRgV

— UHealth Jackson Children’s Care (@ExpertKidsCare) December 22, 2017

TOMORROW at 10AM: @UMiamiHealth surgeons meet to discuss upcoming surgery to treat #Cuban teenager with 10-lb. facial #tumor. pic.twitter.com/yCNE8ubpdj

— UHealth Jackson Children’s Care (@ExpertKidsCare) December 21, 2017

Doctors must remove the entire tumor to ensure that it will not grow back in the future. But another challenge, in addition to the 12-hour surgery, will be the fact that the boy will need future surgeries “to reconstruct his cheek, jaw and other facial features, and to implant prosthetic teeth,” according to WebMD.

Dr. Robert Marx, chief of oral and maxillofacial surgery for the University of Miami Health System, said that he first learned of this case “at a medical conference where a group of missionaries presented X-rays and photos of the boy.” “Nobody knew what it was,” he said. But Marx did, however, because he has experience doing surgeries on large tumors. The effort to save Zayas’s life will take place on January 12, 2018.