24-year-old Ganesh (name changed), a marketing executive, hailing from Tamil Nadu, spent months together running from pillar to post looking for treatment for a mass lesion that he had developed in his left eye, but in vain. It was then that one of the doctors referred him to Dr Mahesh Shanmugam, Head of the Department, Vitreoretina & Ocular Oncology, Sankara Eye Hospital, Bangalore.
The patient had undergone multiple tests already and with a few more test at Sankara Eye hospital, he was diagnosed with Intraocular Schwannoma, an extremely rare tumour arising from the nerves in the coats of the eyeball. This tumour measured roughly around 9mm X 7 mm and was found to be growing into the eye. Most of such eyes, if not diagnosed at an early stage, turn into painful blind eyes requiring enucleation or complete removal of the eyeball.
Dr. Mahesh Shanmugam, Head of the Department, Vitreoretina & Ocular Oncology, Sankara Eye Hospital, Bangalore, said, “In this case, an early and accurate diagnosis with timely intervention helped us salvage this young man’s eye. We performed a transcleral local resection of the tumour where the tumour was separated from all surrounding tissue and was removed completely from his eyeball without any collateral damage. He now has his left eye as good as his right eye and has retained 100% sight.”
“This tumour is extremely rare. There are only about 50 reported cases all over the world that has been diagnosed. It often mimics other tumours and is quite difficult to diagnose. Surgery can be performed only by surgeons who have experience in ocular oncology, added Dr. Mahesh Shanmugam.
“I was tired of running around from one hospital to the other but was also extremely worried about what had happened to my left eye. I would like to thank the doctors at Sankara Eye Hospital for their timely intervention and saving me from this rare disease” said the patient.
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