A GRANDMOTHER has been left with a “face like an anteater” after a tumour ravaged her face.
Editha Dadores, 71, started experiencing pain in her nostrils four years ago but doctors initially thought she had sinusitis.
The mother-of-six from Puerto Princesa, a remote island in the Philippines, was given medication but her sinuses continued to cause her pain.
In 2015 she had an operation to reduce the swelling but the growth continued to balloon until it shattered the front of her skull.
The grandmother-of-16 has now been diagnosed with an inverted papilloma, a tumour that starts in the mucous membranes of the nose, and is currently in hospital while medics decide on her best course of treatment.
Editha’s daughter-in-law Renalyn, 33, said: ‘’My mother-in-law started having pain four years and this was diagnosed as sinusitis.
“’She has had a lot of treatment since then but nothing has stopped the tumour.
“It has been like watching a car crash in very slow motion and there’s nothing you can do to help.
“The tumour has grown so much it has destroyed her looks. It’s like a snout, like an ant-eater, and it’s not nice for her.
“She is not in pain now because she has medication. But talking, sleeping and eating are difficult for her. Her face has been badly damaged and the bones in her face are broken.”
Scans taken this month reveal the extent of the damage the tumour has caused her face.
Doctors at a hospital in Palawan city where she is being treated are unsure how to treat her condition.
A TUMOUR THAT STARTS IN THE NOSE
Inverted papillomas are nasal tumours that originate in the mucosal membrane of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses.
They are benign, meaning they are not cancerous, and grow inwards from the nose.
They grow into the underlying bone and often shatter the bones underneath.
Although they start off benign they can become cancerous over time.
Symptoms:
- Runny nose
- nasal obstruction
- sinus infection
- headaches
- pain in the face
Treatment:
Most inverted papillomas need to be surgically removed.
They have recommended a facial reconstruction but told Editha’s family that the procedure would be risky.
Renalyn added: “We have been supported by a charity which has helped with some of the medical costs for my mother-in-law.
“’The doctors are waiting to choose a hospital for her to be sent to for treatment from specialists. We hope that she will go to Manilla soon.
“She has four sons and two daughters and 16 grandchildren who all love her very much. She was still very beautiful before this.”
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